Immortal Road.

The group of people all showed joy at the same time and were about to enter the room without saying a word!
"and many more!"

Suddenly a shout of "Stop!" brought the scene to a standstill.

Shui Lingchuan and the White Whale Ancestor turned around in confusion and found that the Rhinoceros Demon was covered in sweat, his protective aura was trembling violently, and he was pointing at the bustling scene above his head and shouting.

"Mirages are deceptive; we must not act rashly!"

Upon hearing this, the two were relieved and burst into laughter.

“Fellow Daoist Niu, you are overthinking this. This is a projection of the Immortal Realm. The Eastern Immortal Realm has been holding a Dharma Altar Preaching event for the past thousand years. The twelve figures above are the Twelve Immortals of the Earth Altar. All the spirits of the Three Thousand Water Margins have come to participate in this grand event. The Ancestor of the Upper Realm informed me of this matter in advance.”

Shui Lingchuan smiled and stroked his beard. He had lured the rhinoceros demon away. When they went to the Upper Realm, this guy was, after all, a mount for a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. He could offer it to the elder brother of the Penglai Immortal Sect to gain benefits for himself!
And the White Whale Ancestor beside him is also a candidate for becoming the Holy Lord of Penglai!

They had already planned it out: each of them would bring a pet. It wouldn't be easy to do anything in the lower realm, but once they reached the upper realm, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it and would be at the mercy of others.
The White Whale Ancestor was unknowingly betrayed and was still counting the money for the other person. Upon hearing this, he advised the Rhinoceros Demon not to be sensitive.

"Fellow Daoist Niu, rest assured. The Holy Lord of Penglai and Elder Shui are my friends of a thousand years. They will not harm us. Let's all go in together and work together. We will surely all ascend to immortality!"

Rhino was anxious. Why hadn't that kid, the Ancient Seeking Cult Master, arrived yet? He could only try to stall for time and looked at the Holy Lord of Penglai once again.

“Fellow Daoist, I don’t think we need to sneak through. Since we’re going to ascend, why not do it openly and honestly, taking the proper route through the Golden Palace Ascension Platform? Why do we have to do something underhanded?”

"."

This left all three of them stunned.

Why did you raise this objection now? What were you doing before?
The Holy Lord of Penglai, suppressing his annoyance, earnestly explained to him:

"Fellow Daoist Niu, normal ascension is fraught with peril, and it's easy to get lost on the vast path to ascension. Throughout history, countless geniuses have perished in foreign lands, and the tragic past is still vivid in our minds. How can it be as safe as taking the back door?"

Shui Lingchuan was also there to help.

"That's right, this is a special path to ascension that the ancestors of the upper realm specially opened for us at great cost. If it weren't for the connection with the Penglai lineage, you wouldn't even have a way to sneak over. Be grateful!"

At this moment, the rhinoceros demon pretended to be stupid, and his stubbornness suddenly came out. He shook his head vigorously and contradicted the two of them.

"It's not as exaggerated as you all say. Didn't the Northern Star Divine Lord of the Ice and Snow Alliance successfully ascend a few days ago? His strength is just average, not even as good as any one of us, and he still managed to ascend successfully! The four of us combined are more than enough to handle any difficulties. Why would we be afraid of not being able to ascend through normal channels?"

"."

You know what, that actually makes some sense.

If the Northern Star Divine Lord could successfully ascend alone, then the four of them, working together and supporting each other, should have had an even higher success rate.

At this moment, the white whale ancestor felt an itch on his scalp and suddenly felt as if he had grown a brain!

Yup!

With four late-game Yuan Shen (spirits/spirits) teaming up, ascension should be a sure thing. Why bother with a sneaky approach?
Even in the mortal realm, it knew that smuggling oneself into the celestial realm without proper identification would make one an unregistered individual! First of all, one would fail the political vetting process, and if one wanted to join a major sect or religion, they would definitely investigate one's background, not to mention official institutions like the Heavenly Court and the Golden Palace, unless one chooses to remain a rogue cultivator for life!

Now, suddenly forgetting external pressures and facing the matter of ascension directly, even the White Whale Ancestor couldn't help but waver.

Seeing that things were going to get bad, the Holy Lord of Penglai and Shui Lingchuan quickly tried to salvage the situation.

"Ahem, Fellow Daoist Niu, you've misunderstood. The fact that Divine Lord Beichen succeeded only means he was lucky; it doesn't mean we can also ascend to the Flying Immortal Platform normally."

"You don't need to worry when you get to the Immortal Realm. The Penglai Immortal Sect is a well-known and reputable sect in the Eastern Immortal Domain. With our guarantee, we can vouch for you. You can leave or stay as you please!"

The white whale ancestor suppressed its slight wavering thoughts and decided that it was safer to cross the border illegally.

The rhinoceros demon was extremely anxious. No matter how hard he tried, Lin Shan wouldn't come. Seeing that he had no reason to refuse, he started throwing a tantrum!

"Then you guys go first. I don't want to cross the border illegally anymore. I want to ascend normally."

"What???"

The three of them were completely stunned!
Everything was fine before; they always behaved obediently and let us decide on everything. Why did they suddenly become unreliable at the last minute?
Even a fool could sense that something was wrong.

Elder Shui's face darkened instantly, and he spoke with a mixture of threat and urging.

"Fellow Daoist Niu, don't make a mistake. This is your only chance to ascend. Once you miss it, you'll never have another one. Hurry up and come inside with us!"

"No, I want to ascend normally."

Despite his tough exterior, the rhinoceros demon was actually panicked and trembling, already prepared to tear off all pretense of civility.

To everyone's surprise, the Holy Lord of Penglai ignored him and instead sent the White Whale Elder on his way.

"You go in first, and I'll talk to Elder Shui and persuade it."

"Uh"

The white whale ancestor hesitated slightly, sensing something was amiss. It moved about slowly, still observing what was going on.

No matter how much the Holy Lord of Penglai and Shui Lingchuan tried to persuade him, they couldn't convince the rhinoceros demon to change his mind at the last minute!

"you wanna die."

Shui Lingchuan finally lost his temper!
For the first time, he felt that this stupid cow was so unreasonable. You had agreed before, why did you suddenly change your mind? Isn't this cheating people?

"Alright, Elder Shui, if Fellow Daoist Niu doesn't want to leave, we won't force him. We hope he won't regret it later."

Time is of the essence, and there is no time to waste. The Holy Lord of Penglai has no intention of fighting here and urges Shui Lingchuan to abandon it and go first.

"But."

Shui Lingchuan struggled a bit, because the White Whale Ancestor was the target of the Penglai Holy Lord's abduction, and the Rhinoceros Demon was his means of advancement to the Upper Realm. If he didn't have something worthwhile to offer, how could he show respect to his elder brothers there?
The rhinoceros demon was certain that they wouldn't dare to linger at this point, so he recklessly turned on them and ultimately won his gamble.

The Holy Lord of Penglai had no intention of arguing with it. He immediately led the White Whale Ancestor into the Gate of Myriad Wonders. Even if Shui Lingchuan wanted to take action, he couldn't defeat it on his own. He could only stomp his foot in frustration and turn to go in.

But in the next moment, the rhinoceros demon, driven by evil, suddenly attacked!

"what are you doing?"

Shui Lingchuan was caught off guard and hurriedly tried to defend himself, but he was still swept away by the rhinoceros demon's tail!
The Penglai Saint Master and the White Whale Ancestor behind the door were taken aback. If this guy didn't want to leave, why did he have to ambush his own people?
"Hahaha, you think you can leave? You old bastard, you've been swindling me for so long, have I ever let you go?"

The rhinoceros demon's enormous body blocked the entrance like a small mountain, completely obstructing the path to ascension.

Shui Lingchuan immediately went mad!

"You dare to stop me from ascending?"

Boom~~~
A soaring aura burst forth, instantly forming countless water droplets in the depths of the ocean, all radiating a chilling cold that pierces the heart. They vanished in an instant while hovering, shooting forth like ice and waterfalls!

The rhinoceros demon mustered its strength and engaged in a fierce battle, the two fighting each other to a standstill in the center of the sea eye.

The White Whale Ancestor, who had already entered through the door, was dumbfounded!

"This is."

"I never expected this!"

The Holy Lord of Penglai immediately saw through their scheme. This rhinoceros demon was clearly doing it on purpose, just to delay them; he might even be a spy sent by the Ancient Seeking Sect! "Let's go!"

He actually abandoned Shui Lingchuan outside the door and was about to ascend and leave with the White Whale Ancestor.

Two heavenly staircases appeared beneath their feet simultaneously. As they climbed the stairs, new steps kept appearing, while the steps below gradually disappeared into the distance.

Shui Lingchuan, standing outside the door, was shocked!

"Holy Lord, come quickly and help me! Where are you going?"

However, the Holy Lord of Penglai did not reply to him. At the crucial moment, he was ruthless and cold-hearted, and ran away with the bewildered White Whale Ancestor.

The rhinoceros demon laughed heartily:

"Old man, did you see that? You people from Penglai are all heartless and ungrateful. You think you can treat me, this old ox, like a human being if I'm smuggled over there? You'd be lucky if you didn't sell me out!"

Upon hearing this, the White Whale Ancestor behind the door looked tremblingly at the Holy Lord of Penglai beside him.

The latter patted it expressionlessly:
"Hurry up and don't overthink it. We're all in this together now. Once we start ascending, there's no turning back. We have to go whether we want to or not!"

The ladder beneath their feet only ever has two steps, and the way back has indeed vanished. Even if the White Whale Ancestor is unwilling, he has no choice but to accept his fate.

But outside, Shui Lingchuan was attacking and charging like a madman, trying to break into the Gate of Myriad Wonders!
After realizing he couldn't break through the rhinoceros demon's obstruction, and understanding that the demon had probably turned against him, he quickly softened his attitude and begged it to spare his life.

"Fellow Daoist Niu, I was wrong before. Please let me go, I'm begging you."

But the rhinoceros demon blocked the door completely, leaving no room for maneuver. At this moment, it had the air of a petty person who had achieved his goal, and was very proud of his large size.

"You old codger, you've finally met your match! Everyone knows what you're up to. You probably wanted me, Old Ox, as your mount from the very first glance, didn't you? Dream on! From now on, you'll be my mount!"

It's just a cow, how dare it try to ride someone else?

Unable to bear the humiliation, and seeing the Holy Lord of Penglai getting further and further away, Shui Lingchuan rushed over with a desperate determination to perish together with him.

Just then, movement finally appeared above the sea eye.

Lin Shan and his men arrived late, and immediately noticed the commotion below. He waved his hand, and a series of figures followed him instantly.

The rhinoceros demon finally breathed a sigh of relief and was happily preparing to greet them, but the next moment his face immediately turned black.

"Oh wow wow, don't worry, your grandpa Ji is here!"

Chicken Brother and Lin Fan worked together and quickly defeated Shui Lingchuan's main body. The old guy had been abandoned by the Penglai Holy Lord and was now disheartened and surrendered, begging Lin Shan to spare his life.

"Sect Leader Lin, all three of my Yuan Nian incarnations died at your hands. I only have a few years left to live. Please, out of pity, spare my life!"

Lin Shan glanced at the gradually fading Gate of Myriad Wonders, where the two small dots inside were almost gone. The Holy Lord of Penglai was very decisive and did not linger at all. He led the White Whale Ancestor up the steps and left.

Now he can't use the Thunderous Prison Break technique to lock down the prison outside, unfortunately he's a step too late.

Only Shui Lingchuan was captured, which has the connotation of a hero cutting off his own arm.

"Elder Shui, you may live, but do you possess any key items from the Holy Lord of Penglai?"

"Ah? Yes!"

Shui Lingchuan's first reaction was surprise. Why would the Xun Gu Sect want this? But he quickly put it out of his mind. Who cares what he wants this for?
Survival is the priority!
He took out three items from his pocket. As the former Holy Lord, the current Supreme Elder, and now the Holy Lord of Penglai, how could he not have some personal items?

Lin Shan felt a little relieved after receiving the gift, and then got up to go back. The great demon Qu Gong was still leading his troops to attack Penglai Holy Land, and it would take a while to finish off the enemy there. His early support would reduce some losses.

As for Shui Lingchuan, he had promised not to kill him, so he left him to others.

Lin Fan and Chicken Brother stepped forward menacingly and grabbed the old man:
"Speak quickly, where is the Red Lotus Ancestor? If you dare utter a single wrong word, I'll kill you!"

"I have no idea."

Shui Lingchuan trembled as he recounted the events of the siege of the Red Maple Forest, which were largely identical to what the Substitute Gu had said, leading him to conclude that the Red Lotus Ancestor had successfully escaped after self-destructing.

After examining the body and discovering it was just a skeleton, he and the Holy Lord of Penglai searched the Luosong Mountains for over a month but found no clues and had to give up.

After a lot of arguing, and no one knows exactly how it was negotiated, Shui Lingchuan ended up with the rhinoceros demon!

The reason is that it was unhappy about being Brother Chicken's mount and wanted its own mount!
Upon seeing that the Demon Dog Lord was still alive, he couldn't help but curse at the Rhino Demon:

"You actually lied to me back then? So you betrayed me in secret all along! I trusted you so much!"

pia! ~
The bull's tail lashed out like a whip, striking him several times. Unable to bear the humiliation, Shui Lingchuan committed suicide on the spot!
Before they knew it, the powerful cultivator at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm collapsed instantly, his body withered and floated on the sea, dying silently right before their eyes.

"."

Everyone was speechless for a while.

He was once the Holy Lord of a top holy land in this world. Who could bear such humiliation? Suicide is probably the only option when there is no hope for the future.

Lin Fan sighed deeply.

"This guy is quite clever. This way, he can still go to the underworld to be reincarnated and won't be completely destroyed. It's like leaving something to look forward to."

Lin Shan didn't care. He already had enough puppets in his Yuan Sha Domain, so one or two more wouldn't make a difference. He had promised not to kill, so he had to keep his word. There was no need to break his promise over such a small matter.

Two hours later, the battle at Penglai Holy Land ended.

This colossal entity, which had stood in this world for hundreds of thousands of years, finally disintegrated under the siege of various allied forces, with most of the Penglai disciples dying in battle on their own island.

Thick blood-red clouds shrouded the misty island. All the palaces had been looted, and then flames soared into the sky like bandits entering a village. This human tragedy was commonplace in the eyes of the high-ranking Nascent Soul stage cultivators.

The few Nascent Soul stage cultivators who remained behind also entered Lin Shan's Yuan Sha Domain as puppets without any doubt. Among them were the Yuan Shen incarnations of the Penglai Saint Lord and the White Whale Ancestor!
"Master, we found this in the Grand Hall of the Ancestral Master of Penglai, as you requested."

The servants brought over a pile of memorial tablets, some with more incense and some with less. Converted to ancient charm, there were ten or eight, three or two, and in the end, a total of fifty points of ancient charm were added to it.

Lin Shan's story doesn't end there.

They immediately divided their forces, ordering the Nascent Soul stage cultivators to lead teams deep into the East Sea to launch a counterattack against the various sea tribes that had participated in the siege of the Xun Gu Sect and the Luosong Mountains!
"All enemies shall be exterminated, along with their entire families, leaving no one alive!"

Thus began a massive purge.

He found a quiet place, set up his props, drew his bow and arrow, and wondered if he could kill the two who had slipped through the net before they reached the Immortal Realm!

Inside the ascension passage.

The Holy Lord of Penglai and the White Whale Ancestor remained silent, focusing solely on climbing the Heavenly Ladder. The steps seemed endless, and their footsteps echoed along the desolate path.

Suddenly something appeared in front of them, immediately attracting their attention.

It was a charred, three-foot-long lotus platform, slowly floating in the starry sky.

"This is..." (End of Chapter)