Immortal Road.

In the deep starry sky, a charred lotus platform floats there.

With the Milky Way rolling overhead and endless darkness beneath his feet, he lay there quietly until the end of time, waiting for the ascending cultivators who would pass by.

"what is this?"

The old beluga whale couldn't help but look surprised and suspicious. It had become like a frightened rabbit, instinctively thinking that this was an evil creature luring it away, and dared not approach it at all.

But the Holy Lord of Penglai's eyes shone brightly!
Their mindsets are now completely different, which has led to different perspectives on things.

"This is... the incarnation of a sixth-grade lotus throne?"

It seems that the primordial spirit that was entrusted to it is dead. The lotus platform itself does not seem to be completely destroyed. If I can obtain it, wouldn't I be able to refine it into an external avatar?
"Hahaha, that's wonderful! A near-death experience is sure to bring good fortune. As the saying goes: Opportunities appear on the path to ascension, and immortality is within reach. Hmm, brilliant, brilliant~"

Having just escaped the quagmire of the lower realm, the Holy Lord of Penglai was about to ascend to the immortal realm and head to the Penglai Immortal Sect in the Eastern Immortal Realm to embrace a vast future. With a heart as open as the heavens and earth, he naturally felt that the treasure was destined for him at first sight.

The White Whale Ancestor was worried about the future. The words left by the Rhinoceros Demon before he left still echoed in his ears. He was afraid that he would be sold out by the Holy Lord of Penglai after he went up. However, he could not do without the other party's guidance. He was anxious and uneasy, and he had no interest in collecting the treasures he saw.

As the Holy Lord of Penglai turned around and walked step by step toward the charred lotus platform, the heavenly ladder beneath his feet automatically turned, with each step appearing and disappearing, carrying him to his side. He couldn't help but call out in alarm.

"Brother Penglai, be careful!"

"Haha, Brother White Whale, you're overthinking it!"

The Holy Lord of Penglai possessed profound cultivation and unique insight. Even when faced with an opportunity, he remained vigilant, first probing from afar to ensure there was no danger before approaching.

Suddenly, the surface of the black lotus cracked inch by inch. He used his divine energy to shatter the charred outer skin, and a smaller two-foot green lotus emerged!

"really!"

This item appears damaged, but it is not actually completely withered, which is enough to show that it is of excellent quality. Perhaps it is an item passed down from the immortals.

The White Whale Ancestor's eyes revealed envy. He hadn't expected it to be a real treasure, without a single pitfall. The Holy Lord of Penglai had stumbled upon incredible luck!
"I didn't believe in luck before, but now that we've just started our ascension, we've actually encountered a reward from Heaven. This is..."

"Therefore, after the worst comes the best. Everything has its own destiny. What is lost in one area is gained in another. This is the cyclical nature of fate."

After this incident, the relationship between the two gradually eased from its delicate state.

The Holy Lord of Penglai also planned to stabilize the White Whale Ancestor on the way to ascension first, and then discuss the matter of going up there. At this stage, he wanted to avoid the guy noticing anything was wrong and to properly repair the rift. So he smiled and discussed it with it.

"Brother White Whale, why do you think there are charred green lotuses left behind on the path to ascension?"

The old white whale ancestor pondered for a moment, picked up the fallen ash, rubbed it between his fingers, and smelled it under his nose, saying somewhat uncertainly:
"It feels like ashes of a calamity. Could it be that a lotus spirit ascended here, but failed its tribulation and its primordial spirit was obliterated, leaving it to drift on the path to ascension?"

The Holy Lord of Penglai stroked his chin and nodded, continuing the deduction in this direction.

"When did a green lotus plant spirit at the late Nascent Soul stage appear in this world? I've never heard of it before. Could it be that it cultivated alone, never appeared in the world, and then ascended to heaven silently?"

This is not impossible, because the world is vast, and there are many reclusive hermits who live in seclusion. There are always some unknown people who are actually great masters who have passed down their knowledge. Otherwise, there would be so many nameless traditions hidden in the deep mountains and forests, waiting for future generations to discover them.

Moreover, it's not surprising that plant spirits, which are creatures that mature late in life, can absorb the essence of heaven and earth and the radiance of the sun and moon, and cultivate themselves to the primordial spirit stage in a daze.

"But if you're going to ascend, why are you facing this calamity? What kind of calamity?"

I don't quite understand either of them.

Although ascension and tribulation are often mentioned together, they are actually two different things.

There are certainly tribulations on the road, and it's impossible for you to ascend easily. But it's only when you're about to succeed in your ascension after countless hardships and are close to the barrier of the immortal realm that a special tribulation of lightning descends to cleanse you of the mortal world's dust, commonly known as the 'dust-cleansing tribulation'.

Among all the heavens and myriad realms, the lower realms harbor too much filth and impurity. The celestial realms, like the ocean that embraces all rivers, are afraid of bringing in the filth, so they must undergo the baptismal process!

Only after being washed can one enter the celestial realm. It's like a security checkpoint, disinfecting prohibited items, removing dirt and grime, and indirectly clearing your identity.

Therefore, a common saying is widely circulated throughout the myriad realms: all chronic diseases, poisons, marks, evil shadows, poisonous oaths, etc., will be eliminated by the cleansing tribulation after ascension, allowing you to be rejuvenated and start anew!

Of course, if you can't overcome it, then you can only blame your own bad luck; death and the cessation of your spiritual path are nothing more than that.

But they had only just embarked on the path to ascension when they encountered Qinglian, who had been struck dead by lightning. This seemed very strange, causing their joy to subside and their anxiety about the unknown road ahead to grow.

As the Holy Lord of Penglai accelerated the refining process with his divine essence, a shell-shaped storage magic treasure was suddenly forced out of the green lotus!
"what?"

Upon seeing this item, the Holy Lord of Penglai and the White Whale Ancestor suddenly remembered that Qinglian must have been an extraordinary master in life, so how could she not have any relics?

Here it comes!
They excitedly opened it, only to find that the first thing inside was a dense array of Earth Spirit Pills, numbering in the thousands, like candy beans!

"This"

How could a plant spirit from the lower realm possess so many Nascent Soul stage pills? It's clearly illogical.

Looking further in, there were all sorts of collections, which together made them richer than the two lords of the holy land. The key was that there were two pieces of brocade in the very center!
The first one opened had the words "Heavenly Court War Puppet Division" written on it, with an official seal. The contents were about recovering the standard equipment of the Northern Army Xuanwu Camp lost in the lower realm, including Yellow Turban Warriors and Northern Army crossbow carts.

The two men looked at each other, suddenly breaking out in a sweat, feeling that the imperial edict was burning their hands.

Then, the second silk scroll was opened, and the edict written on it was even more explosive!

Imperial Edict Ordering the Immortal Envoy to Investigate and Demand the Requisition

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor and Empress decree:"

"The remnants of the Black Lotus are wreaking havoc in the mortal realm, their malevolent aura reaching the heavens, and their incense burning to fool the people. Therefore, I hereby appoint the celestial inspector 'Ji Guan,' also known as the Pure Lotus Hermit, to descend to the mortal realm with his imperial insignia to suppress the rebels, purge the evil spirits, and bring peace to this world!"

"Appreciate this."

The Holy Lord of Penglai's hand trembled, and he almost threw the edict away!

"???"

The beluga whale ancestor stared wide-eyed, almost shaking itself in the process.

"This is... an edict from the Heavenly Court, from the Emperor and Empress? Look below, there's even a special official seal."

This object exudes a majestic and awe-inspiring aura, solemn and noble. It is so real that it cannot be faked. Even if they are the two bumpkins from the lower realm, they can tell that this thing is most likely genuine!
I have never seen a mere few lines of text that could make a Nascent Soul stage cultivator feel the urge to kneel down and worship!

"so"

The Holy Lord of Penglai nervously swallowed.

"This is the appointment edict of the Inspector Immortal Envoy, the Pure Lotus Hermit. Did we find it?"

The old beluga whale was so frightened that it almost suffered a heart attack and died suddenly. The main reason was that every word on it was radiating boundless golden light, which made it feel its heart suddenly contract and feel suffocated.

"Could this lotus platform be the reincarnation of Layman Jinglian?"

"They shouldn't be able to escape."

The Holy Lord of Penglai was incredibly intelligent; he deduced the entire course of events in an instant and realized he was in deep trouble!

Without a doubt, the Pure Lotus Hermit's siege of the Black Lotus Cult in the lower realm brought the battle between the outer void factions to an end. The Azure Lotus Fairy was killed, and the celestial envoy ascended to heaven after completing his mission.

But on their way back, they were suddenly attacked by a mysterious enemy and tragically perished! As for who this enemy was, they did not know, but judging from the traces of the lightning tribulation, the other party was able to send lightning from a realm away to strike the immortal envoy, preventing him from returning and killing him at the same time. This clearly showed that the other party was a powerful being with profound skills!
Moreover, using lightning tribulation doesn't get your hands dirty, and you can hide your identity, eliminating the immortal envoy without anyone noticing, which shows how cunning the mastermind is.

When the Heavenly Court investigates, they will only be able to find the clue of the lightning tribulation. The person who did it will be perfectly hidden, making it an unsolved case!
But the problem was that he destroyed the scene and refined half of the lotus platform left behind by Layman Jinglian after his death!
Isn't this just making the killer a scapegoat?

"So, when the Heavenly Court investigates, it will be because I killed the Pure Lotus Hermit?"

The Holy Lord of Penglai lowered his head in disbelief, staring blankly at the two-foot lotus platform in his hand.

"scare?"

The White Whale Ancestor was so frightened that he immediately fled far away from the Holy Lord of Penglai, fearing that the blue lotus might be tainted by even the slightest trace of his aura.

Intercepting and killing a patrolling celestial envoy is a serious crime!

In a mortal kingdom, how is this any different from an imperial envoy who kills the emperor?
We haven't even ascended yet, and we've already run into such a huge mess. We'll die a very ugly death once we get there.

Anyone would be stunned if a huge black pot were suddenly dumped on their head!
The Holy Lord of Penglai stood dumbfounded on the Heavenly Ladder. If he had pretended not to see it, his ignorance would have been understandable, as the whole affair had nothing to do with him. But the problem lay with his greed.

I ended up with this mess all by accident!
It's not hard to imagine what awaits him once he ascends normally and lands on the Ascension Platform in the Immortal Realm. Luckily, he can sneak in!

However, smuggling is not without risk, because the Heavenly Court might have reverse tracking capabilities. If they discover that someone smuggled themselves to the Eastern Immortal Realm during this period, they could then trace the trail back to him.
"No, this burden is too heavy. I can't bear it all by myself. I can't handle it."

Thinking of this, the Holy Lord of Penglai suddenly turned his head and stared at the White Whale Ancestor with a fierce gaze like that of a hungry wolf!

"??!"

The White Whale Ancestor was terrified; was it going to kill him to silence him?
"No, fellow Daoist, listen to me! I absolutely will not tell anyone, I swear to God!"

"Stop swearing! There's only one way to live!"

The Holy Lord of Penglai shoved the second-grade lotus platform in his arms to it.

"I've only refined half of the Inspector's incarnation; you can handle the other half!"

"I?"

The beluga whale ancestor was taken aback for a moment, then immediately understood.

So you're trying to drag me down with you?

He immediately shook his head like a rattle-drum, refusing to take it no matter what. This thing was a major case hanging over the heavens! If he dared to touch even the slightest bit of it, he would die without a burial place, be caught and taken to the Heavenly Court, and even reincarnation would be a pipe dream.

"Such an opportunity should rightfully belong to you; how could I possibly take it from someone else?"

"Cut the nonsense!"

The Holy Lord of Penglai glared at it fiercely, his face terrifyingly calm, just as he had abandoned Elder Shui. His ruthlessness and indifference were on full display!
"This lotus platform today must have half of you, even if it means death, I will force it upon you!"

"don't want."

The two of them pushed and shoved the lotus platform from a distance, both treating it as a hot potato. It was such a dramatic scene, but unfortunately, there were only the two of them in the ascension passage, and no one else had the chance to witness it.

Seeing that the Holy Lord of Penglai was unyielding and seemed determined to make him share the blame today, the White Whale Ancestor couldn't help but show his ruthlessness!
"At worst, we'll fight to the death. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"

boom--

The two who once supported each other on the ancient starry road are now on the verge of a major battle!
Each of them stood on two steps of a ladder, constantly moving around searching for each other's weaknesses. The steps appeared and disappeared, floating and sinking, creating an atmosphere of extreme tension.

The Holy Lord of Penglai took out a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Sword, and the White Whale Ancestor opened his mouth and spat out a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Drum!

Both are at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and are top experts of the human and sea races respectively. Now that they have suddenly turned against each other on the path to ascension, it is still unknown who will emerge victorious.

Just as the atmosphere was about to explode!

The Holy Lord of Penglai suddenly stopped, his expression softening, and made a suggestion across the starry sky.

"Brother White Whale, things have come to this point, why don't we make a deal?"

"speak!"

"With me here, I can safely sneak you through to ascension. Without me, you'll be forever lost in the ascension passage. You should know how to calculate that."

"If you want to follow me, you must show sincerity!"

"And now I can assure you that as long as we each refine half of this lotus platform, it will be our shared secret from now on. No matter what happens, we'll face it together. Even when we reach the Upper Realm, I will not be able to betray you."

"That's not a bad thing either; it will ensure your safety once you get up there. What do you think?"

The White Whale Ancestor fell silent after hearing this.

To be honest, without the Holy Lord of Penglai, it really wouldn't know how to sneak across, so if it wanted to ascend, it still had to rely on him.

He used to be terrified of being betrayed when he went up there, but now he doesn't have to worry anymore. As long as he and the Holy Lord of Penglai are completely on the same boat, and the other party needs his help to share the pressure, he naturally won't cheat him.

From this perspective, it is indeed equivalent to adding an extra layer of insurance.

However, the consequences were equally severe. He would have to bear the heinous crime of intercepting and killing the patrolling celestial envoy, and from then on, he would have to keep a low profile and dare not be active in front of the Heavenly Court.

Whether to choose compromise or be forced into a fight is entirely up to them!
a long time.

After much deliberation, the white whale ancestor had no choice but to let out a long sigh.

He obediently accepted the two-foot lotus platform, channeled his own divine essence into it, and refined the remaining half into his own.

"Brother Penglai, is it alright now?"

The Holy Lord of Penglai breathed a sigh of relief and finally smiled.

“I knew Brother White Whale would make the right choice; this is the only way out for both of us.”

"You've really screwed me over."

They reconciled on their way to ascension, but were filled with worries about how to deal with the mess they had made after they got there. Suddenly, the Holy Lord of Penglai shuddered!
Immediately afterwards, a chilling sensation rose from my abdomen.

That power was mysterious and unpredictable, as if it came from beyond the heavens, instantly entering the depths of his body, and was about to descend into reality.

Then a soft laugh was heard.

"Croak~ It wasn't for nothing that I, the Heavenly Toad Void Emperor, have been waiting for so long. The Supreme Single has indeed opened again. Let me see who my opponent is this time!"

"???"

The White Whale Ancestor was completely bewildered and jumped away in surprise and doubt. He watched as the Holy Lord of Penglai suddenly convulsed, his belly swelled up, and his mouth opened.

A gigantic tongue shot towards him in the blink of an eye! (End of Chapter)