Immortal Road.

At this moment, the Pure Lotus Hermit looked at his left and right shoulders, staring at the two rows of mushroom-shaped figures. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine, and he almost couldn't help but want to self-destruct!

"Aaaaaah, what the hell is this? Get out of my sight!"

A powerful burst of divine energy erupted from his body, surging upwards and scattering the uninvited guests, turning their bald heads into white poles in an instant.

However, these things took root in his body and quickly absorbed his essence and blood, growing back and turning into bright red umbrellas.

He opened his eyes, grinned foolishly at him, and continued singing a children's song.

"shut up!"

Even the usually honest celestial messenger couldn't help but swear, his shoulders shaking violently for a while before he finally managed to get rid of these bastards completely.

A strange laugh echoed in the cave from the darkness.

"I, the Mushroom King, will return."

A tingling, numb sensation spread through his shoulders, as if bone meal had been implanted there, and countless microorganisms were crawling all over them. Jinglian Jushi felt an intense, itchy discomfort!
He knew that this Demon Mushroom Emperor, like the Heavenly Toad Void Emperor, was a Void Realm Emperor from the Hell Cave, who descended using special curse techniques to wreak havoc within his body.

This caused him to constantly weaken and worsen his injuries as he struggled against himself, making it even more impossible for him to focus on recuperating!

This is the wicked scheme of the Seeking Antiquity Cult Leader!
"Sir, Immortal Envoy."

The Holy Lord Haoran and the others cautiously entered from outside, but dared not approach and could only ask him from a distance if he was alright.

“You will protect me at the cave entrance.”

Knowing that this was only the second wave, and given the nature of the Seven Arrows of Nailhead, there should be a third wave, the Pure Lotus Hermit did not rush to heal his injuries. Instead, he focused his mind and prepared for the battle, intending to deal with the three curses of the day first.

But no matter how long we waited, the third wave never came!
He waited for a full hour, but the curse still did not descend.

Finally, my heart, which had been hanging in suspense, sank completely!

Is it possible that one can only curse twice, and a third time is simply impossible? No, absolutely not. Layman Jinglian was very confident; for the first time, he realized how difficult his opponent was to deal with.

Remember, the most terrifying thing is a sword that hasn't been drawn yet!

If the other party uses up all three curses early on, then for the rest of the day, Layman Jinglian will have no worries and can confidently use his internal energy to heal.

But if he doesn't let go a third time, it will become a thorn in his side, making him live in constant fear and anxiety, always afraid that the curse will suddenly descend upon him at some point!

This is the discomfort of guarding against thieves for a thousand days!

The other party accurately grasped his psychological state and intended to use intimidation to interfere with his recovery, hitting the snake right where it hurts.

Layman Jinglian felt itchy all over, as if he had eaten excrement.

You're suggesting using internal energy to heal? But what if the curse suddenly strikes again, causing a backlash that flares up the injuries? All the hard work you've done will be for nothing, and you might even go insane and suffer a qi deviation!
If we don't use our internal energy to heal our injuries and just keep waiting like this, who knows when that kid will start cursing us?
This is actually a multiple-choice question, because Layman Jinglian had no choice.

It would be foolish to sit and wait for death. Now he can only grit his teeth and try to heal his injuries. Fortunately, he has a group of underlings outside to keep watch for him.

Two full hours later, which is the third quarter of midnight today!
With tomorrow fast approaching, the third wave of the curse finally erupted!

"On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head, and every household boils beans in their pots, startling the Dragon King to rise early, bringing clouds and rain to ensure a bountiful harvest."

"On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head; everyone and their children use oxen for plowing; the granaries are full, the small granaries overflow, and everyone has energy for the whole year."

"On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head; the emperor plows the fields, his ministers drive the oxen; the empress comes to deliver food; and the court officials throw away the seeds."

Unbeknownst to him, folk songs began to echo in the empty cave, reaching the ears of Layman Jinglian and jolting him awake from his deep immersion in healing!

who?

He quickly opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings, but found nothing.

The Holy Lord of Vastness and the Sword Daoist of the Original Sword were sitting cross-legged at the entrance of the cave. Seeing him suddenly so flustered, they couldn't help but feel nervous as well. They quickly stood up, put their hands on their swords, and looked around!

"Did you hear that?"

Layman Jinglian asked them questions.

The Nascent Soul stage cultivators looked bewildered and shook their heads, indicating that they had nothing to say.

As he listened intently again, the ancient folk song seemed to emerge from time and space, its indistinctness gradually giving way to a high-pitched melody, slowly unfolding a vivid agricultural scene.
"On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head; if the dragon doesn't raise its head, I will."

"Who the hell are you???"

The Pure Lotus Hermit couldn't help but forcefully interrupt, and suddenly found himself shuddering, as if something had actually raised its head!

"?"

He was immediately taken aback, then cautiously and slowly lowered his head, meeting the gaze of that being.

"."

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

The woman even trembled slightly as she greeted him, showing no embarrassment whatsoever.

His throat was dry, as if he had aged several years, and he asked in a trembling voice:
"Does 'Dragon Raises Its Head' mean this?"

"Yes."

The other party nodded sincerely.

"I, you, no, you f***ing...get the hell out of here!!!"

Layman Jinglian is furious!

He had considered that curses could take many forms, and he was prepared for them to be as sinister and bizarre as possible, but to project such a crude and vulgar method onto this part of the human body was simply too immoral!
At my age, do I still need to look up?

Who are they showing this to?

Haoran Saint Lord, Yuanjian Daoist and others stared blankly outside the cave, each of them secretly feeling a chill in their hearts, muttering to themselves that they were indeed worthy of being immortals. Not only were their spiritual roots and qi roots extraordinary, but even their roots of troubles were exceptionally gifted!

"Oh no, no, no, fellow Daoist, please don't be impulsive. We are temporarily one, born of the same root, why are you so eager to harm each other?"

The being that descended kept nodding and begging for mercy, speaking softly, but every word it uttered was a direct stab to the heart of Layman Jinglian!

What drove him even crazier was that this guy was still restless as soon as he arrived. While he was healing, he aggravated his old injuries, making those two hours of his efforts futile!

It's like going back to square one.

"I want you to die!"

When a true immortal is enraged, the world changes drastically.

The entire world fragment was trembling violently, spatial rifts were opening one after another, the earth was constantly churning, and the cultivators guarding the gate outside were terrified and turned ashen-faced.

But when it came to actually taking action, Layman Jinglian couldn't bring himself to do it.
Because that place is too vulnerable, it's a case of injuring the enemy by twenty parts while losing a thousand parts of your own!
But if he didn't comply, the other party would continue to wreak havoc inside his body—who could bear that? Just as he was struggling with this internal conflict, his expression shifting between anger and despair, the creature below, fearing he might do something rash, kept trying to persuade him:
"Fellow Daoist, I am the King of the Prison Sea Turtle, specializing in curing incurable diseases throughout the myriad realms. I can make you grow stronger with age. Tell me, what man wouldn't want a second spring? As the saying goes, 'The dragon raises its head.'"

"I'll carry your grandpa!"

Click!

A thunderclap sounded in the void outside, and the Pure Lotus Hermit, with tears in his eyes, beheaded that fellow.

Damn the leader of the Ancient Search Cult, what kind of weird and wonderful Eight-Hook Divine Power does he always manage to summon inexplicable hellish creatures? Are you perhaps the favorite son of the Source of Curses?
He was right after all!

Lin Shan had previously attracted strange occurrences due to his constant curses. The powerful figure behind the scenes in the upper realm was afraid that he would cause trouble for himself, so he deliberately granted him access to the eleventh level of hell and beyond, allowing him to be prioritized above everyone else on the platform.

Therefore, the fact that the curse was able to summon Void Realm creatures three times this time is because the Immortal Book Master gave him special permission!
Normal people usually curse ordinary phenomena, such as minor ailments that don't hurt or itch, and they can even just endure them and they'll pass.

Ke Linshan's supreme divine power is too abnormal. He can summon different Void Realm hellish creatures every time, which is obviously against common sense!
With bloodshot eyes, Layman Jinglian endured the pain and sat down shakily.

The Holy Lord Haoran and the others outside the cave turned away, trembling. They were too shocked to speak from what they had just witnessed. This was too ruthless!

When a man is this ruthless to himself, how can he not achieve great things?
As expected of an inspector celestial envoy!
A barely perceptible sigh came from behind:

"That's fine. The first time is always scary. Being able to experience purification in the lower realm beforehand might help me let go of my mental burden when I return to my original body in the upper realm."

Pure Lotus Hermit remembered his uncle in the palace, who had repeatedly sent messages to him, asking him to come to the palace, which was the main base of the Heavenly Pure Clan.

However, because he couldn't bring himself to undergo purification, he remained a lowly celestial guard at the Golden Palace Ascension Platform!

Eliminating the Azure Lotus Fairy this time is a great achievement, and he will surely be appreciated upon returning. This will give him a legitimate reason to enter the purifying clan's powerful eyes. If he can resolve to purify himself, he might even be able to use this opportunity to rise rapidly in rank.
At this moment, Lin Shan, who was far away on the other side, never expected that his unintentional action would actually resolve the long-standing knot in the heart of the patrolling immortal envoy.

Followed by.

The next day arrived, and Layman Jinglian was still hiding in the fragments of the world to heal her wounds.

But the curse continued, constantly disturbing him, appearing every time he was at a crucial moment in his cultivation, causing all his previous efforts to be wasted!
But when he was furious and decided to wait patiently, he would disappear like a ghost.

This back-and-forth, repeated over and over, tormented him for three days and three nights!
"no!"

Layman Jinglian finally couldn't sit still any longer.

He accomplished nothing in those three days; his injury not only failed to heal but actually worsened.

The other party's curses are endless, and they become increasingly disgusting!
If this continues, not only will he be unable to recover, but he may also be worn down to death by the endless curses from afar!
With that in mind, he made a bold decision.

That is.
Ascend!

To be honest, he didn't really need to stay in the lower realm.

Since Fairy Qinglian is already dead, his mission is complete. Why should he keep lingering in the mortal realm?

I didn't want to leave too soon because I heard that a celestial noble would be descending to the mortal realm soon, and that he was a so-called 'Pure Clan Prodigy'!
He also wanted to make good friends with such a person, hoping that he could be of help. If he could, that would be best, and perhaps they could build a connection when they ascended together in the future, making his career in the Heavenly Court smoother.

But the situation is critical now, and this is not the time for him to be scheming. The leader of the Xun Gu Sect is watching him from the outside, and he cannot stay in the lower realm for even a moment longer!
The Pure Lotus Hermit knew perfectly well that Lin Shan's ability to curse him from afar meant he had access to Lin Shan's personal belongings, and sooner or later he would be able to trace the source back to him.

The illusion I created by leaving myself in the void to confuse the flow of energy could only have delayed things for a maximum of three days, but now the time has come.

Staying here is tantamount to waiting to die!

"Come here."

The Holy Lord Haoran and the others guarding the gate entered the cave as instructed. Looking at the haggard-looking old man, they all wore respectful expressions, but no one knew what they were thinking.

Layman Jinglian didn't have time to argue with them. He took out a packet of paper from his pocket, opened it, and found that it contained a pile of gray powder.

"Take this out and scatter it around the world fragments. Remember! Make sure to scatter it evenly and cover the entire area."

Although the Holy Lord Haoran did not know the purpose, he obeyed and accepted the gift.

But it didn't end there. The Pure Lotus Hermit took out a horn prop, placed it in the hand of the Sword Master, and told him how to activate it.

"You'll place this at the entrance to the world fragment. Activate it immediately the moment someone tries to step in, without the slightest delay. Do you understand?"

"My subordinate understands."

Yuan Jiandao was also confused, but he still did as he was told.

Then, the Pure Lotus Hermit had the remaining five Nascent Soul cultivators sit around him, forming a pentagonal circle. He then took out five pillars that were clearly already refined and distributed them to each of them, planting them in the ground.

This time, Layman Jinglian explained the purpose of this item.

"This is the Five-Cylinder Illumination Array, which can emit boundless light that soars into the heavens and shines directly into the vast world, attracting the attention of the Immortal Realm and thus alerting the Golden Palace Ascension Platform. At that time, the passage will be opened to facilitate the ascension of cultivators from the lower realms."

"I promised you before the battle that I would allow you to witness the entire ascension process after the victory. I will not keep this a secret, so please watch carefully."

"After I ascend to immortality, I will leave these five array-setting objects to you. I hope we can meet again in the Immortal Realm then!"

Everyone was shocked upon hearing this, and they all involuntarily gripped the tube tightly.

After making some adjustments, the Pure Lotus Hermit immediately sat down in the center of the formation and began chanting incantations to resonate with his primordial spirit. This was to connect with the frequency of the immortal realm!
Since I was leaving, I didn't hesitate to give a casual explanation to the people around me.

"Ascension, ascension, the key is in ascension. It is about sublimating one's own inspiration, breaking free from the magnetic field of this world, seeking the great frequencies of the universe deep in the void, and allowing one's primordial spirit to vibrate in sync with the immortal realm. Only then can one open the first gate of ascension!"

"The so-called Gate of Ascension was also called the Gate of All Wonders in your ancient lower realm."

"Once you pass through this door, you will embark on a path of utter emptiness and loneliness, with no turning back."

"In other words, once the ascension begins, the entire process is irreversible; it's either life or death, or you choose to live towards death!"

These words resounded loudly, deafening everyone present.

They were all extremely focused, afraid of missing a single word. This was a personal instruction from the patrolling immortal envoy, and missing it would be a lifelong regret.

"The path to immortality is difficult, and ascension to immortality is even more difficult! Only by ascending to the immortal realm can one survive; otherwise, one will become a cold corpse on the endless road of nothingness. Throughout history, the success rate of ascension has been only about 30%, and that's taking things a step in the right direction."

"With guidance from the celestial realm, one will not lose their way and can even improve by another 20%."

"And this five-tube illumination array was specially developed by the Golden Palace Ascension Platform to light the way home for us patrolling immortal envoys!"

"You all input your divine energy to activate it. Don't let go until I tell you to stop, remember that!"

No one objected; they all nodded in agreement.

The Pure Lotus Hermit kept changing incantations and hand seals. Even a true immortal took a full half hour to finally find the resonance point between his own frequency and that of the immortal realm, thus leaping into a new level!
"Om~~~"

A fierce wind howled all around, and an ancient gate of light slowly formed amidst the soft sounds, standing atop the head of Layman Jinglian!

His white hair swayed wildly, his robes fluttered in the wind, and his eyes gleamed with an unknown anticipation.

The Gate to All Wonders! (End of Chapter)