Grandpa, times have changed.

The boundless, chaotic sea.

Seeking the Abyss Realm, the Realm of Peace.

The Great Sheng Dynasty.

Beijing.

It was early morning, the sun was rising, and its rays broke through the morning mist, but unlike before, the Golden Crow Star Lord was not there to guard it.

"Has even the spiritual energy of the Peaceful Realm declined to this extent...?"

Inside a restaurant in the city.

A young man looked out the window and sighed softly.

Judging from his appearance, it was none other than Gu Wangjun!
Soon, he looked away and slowly raised his right hand.

Huhu~
Like a gentle breeze.

In an instant, wisps of strange energy, so subtle they were barely perceptible to the naked eye, were drawn from the void and swirled between his five fingers.

Reiki.

In the Taiping Realm today, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth is almost non-existent.

Even Gu Wangjun, who had already reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, could only extract a few strands, which were not even enough for a cultivator at the first level of Qi Refining to use for a single breath.

"Given its energy level, it's already quite remarkable that it has lasted for so many years."

The person speaking was sitting opposite Gu Wangjun, and was also looking out the window.

He was dressed in a black and red outfit and had an excellent physique.

Her eyebrows were long and slender, her eyes sparkled with a captivating light, her features were delicate and beautiful yet possessed a touch of heroism, and her hair was tied in a high ponytail.

Leng Rou.

But then she glanced out the window, and deep in her pupils, a yin-yang symbol slowly rotated, reflecting several vast worlds that existed independently of the mortal realm and encompassed boundless spiritual energy.

A blessed land.

The two came to Taipingjie because of this blessed land.

Soon, the yin-yang symbol deep within Leng Rou's pupils disappeared.

"After all, even in the Earthly Immortal Realm, which has a higher energy level, the spiritual energy within is only enough to support the cultivation of Golden Core level cultivators."

"Too."

Gu Wangjun waved his hand, dispelling the wisps of spiritual energy that lingered between his fingers.

More than a hundred years have passed since the phenomenon of spiritual inspiration fading and extraordinary abilities disappearing has appeared.

Nowadays, apart from some high-energy worlds, such as the Other Shore Realm, the Earth Immortal Realm, the Taiyi Realm, and the Taiping Realm, where some spiritual energy still remains.

In other lower-energy worlds, internal spiritual energy has completely disappeared, and extraordinary beings have become legends.

The Dharma-ending Age!

In one hundred years, the boundless Chaos Sea and the immeasurable worlds have all ushered in the true end of Dharma.

If it weren't for the existence of blessed lands, there probably wouldn't be even one in a billion cultivators left in this era.

"Fortunately, our world is unaffected," Gu Wangjun said with a smile.

“Yes…” Leng Rou continued to look out the window, her expression tinged with a hint of emotion, “Fortunately, our world is unaffected.”

In this degenerate age, only high-level cultivators who have attained the Dao or higher can remain safe and sound.

As for those below the Dao Integration stage, whether they are at the first level of Qi Refining who have just entered the Dao, or at the Perfected Void Returning stage who are only half a step away from Dao Integration, as long as they are in this environment lacking spiritual energy for a long time, their cultivation will eventually dissipate, and they will die and their Dao will vanish.

The Dharma-ending Age.

It is a calamity for all cultivators in the heavens and a tribulation for those who transcend the mundane realms.

All cultivators across the myriad realms are seeking ways to avoid disasters and calamities.

Like the Great Sheng Dynasty they are in now.

It was established by some cultivators who lacked sufficient merit and virtue to enter the blessed land and escape the calamity of the Dharma-ending Age after the Taiping Dao Kingdom entered the blessed land.

Initially, they wanted to gather the spiritual resources of heaven and earth to create a blessed land, but it ended in failure.

So in the later stages, all they wanted was to use their merit in ending the chaos to gain a chance to enter the blessed land.

pity……

The merits required to enter the blessed land are not something that can be obtained so easily.

Over the course of a century, inspiration has been lost and the environment has deteriorated.

Most of the cultivators who established the Great Sheng Dynasty have died and disappeared. Now, only a few Void Returners remain, barely clinging to life in a secret chamber deep within the palace.

The two people sitting by the window remained silent for a long time.

half an hour.

Leng Rou stood up.

"Let's go, it's about time."

"Ah."

Gu Wangjun nodded and stood up as well.

Soon after, as a few wisps of ethereal mist dissipated, the two figures vanished from sight.

No one in the restaurant noticed anything, except for a few pieces of silver lying quietly in the corner of the table.

About two minutes later.

A gaunt, haggard-looking man in black strode up the stairs and went straight to where Gu Wangjun and Leng Rou had just been.

He reached out and picked up the few pieces of silver, examining them in his palm.

"There was indeed an anomaly in the flow of spiritual energy here just now..."

After a while, his brows furrowed tightly.

"But the inspiration hasn't diminished. Is it from some fellow Daoist?"

A series of figures kept flashing through my mind.

Finally, he put away the few pieces of silver, turned around and went down the stairs.

In this world where spiritual energy is scarce, every bit of spiritual energy is extremely precious, and he does not want to clash with it.

Therefore, as long as that fellow Daoist does not disturb the Spirit Gathering Array or the spiritual energy of the capital, he can do whatever he wants.

……

……

Several days later.

Two figures traversed the clouds, looking down upon the capital of the Great Sheng Dynasty, which lay sprawled on the earth like a primordial beast.

It was Gu Wangjun and Leng Rou who had completed their ascension mission.

"Whoo~"

Gu Wangjun let out a long sigh of relief.

"It's finally finished. Maintaining this blessed land is really not an easy task."

After saying that, he smiled and looked at Leng Rou beside him.

"This mission should be almost over. When do you plan to go into seclusion?"

Thanks to the blessing bestowed upon her by the Sword Ancestor, Leng Rou has recovered to her prime.

With a little more adjustment, I can go into seclusion again to try and advance to the Dao Integration stage.

However, Leng Rou did not respond immediately upon hearing this; instead, she remained silent.

After a while, Gu Wangjun noticed that she hadn't replied and turned to look at her, somewhat puzzled.

"what happened?"

"Regarding the matter of attaining the Dao..." Leng Rou seemed somewhat hesitant, "Let's talk about it a few years later."

"Huh? Why?"

"It's nothing, it's not the right time yet."

At the very least, we'll have to wait until you've reached the Void Realm...

"Alright, I know my own situation. You'll understand when you reach my level. You wouldn't understand if I explained it to you now."

Leng Rou abruptly ended the conversation with a few words.

"...Alright, you decide for yourself."

Gu Wangjun didn't pay much attention to it.

After all, he couldn't compare to those awesome geniuses of the immortal sects; after all these years, he had only reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

The Dao and such...

He really doesn't understand it very well.

Leng Rou pursed her lips, but Gu Wangjun didn't notice this small gesture.

"let's go."

"Okay, let's go."

The next instant, with the activation of the Tai Xuan Immortal Network's cross-realm program, the two figures flashed and, in a fraction of a second, left the Taiping Realm.

……

……

The Chaotic Sea.

Boundless and endless, eternally lonely.

Amidst the churning and surging chaotic energy, countless worlds rose and fell.

Beneath that boundless chaotic aura lurked a terrifying shadow of immense size, almost without any boundaries.

Like a chaotic abyss. Dark, deep...

Demon world.

It can also be called the 'Demon Realm'.

This refers to the changes that occurred after Xu Xing achieved the Dao Source, resulting in the formation of the Chaos Sea.

Judging from the energy level alone, it is almost the world with the highest energy level except for the Tai Xuan Realm.

However, due to the inherent limitations of the Heavenly Demons and the arrival of the Dharma-ending Age, the Heavenly Demon Realm now consists only of some ignorant and wandering souls.

Then, streaks of light, like shooting stars, flashed continuously, traversing the boundless chaotic sea.

Each path has a different direction.

Some rise to the highest point from all directions, while others fall from the highest point into the vast, chaotic sea.

If an enlightened being looked up to the highest realm, they would find that the eternal light of the Tai Xuan Realm, which hangs high above, has dimmed somewhat.

Yes.

Although the inner inspiration has not been lost.

However, the calamity of the end times is a disaster that affects the entire Chaos Sea and extends to countless worlds. It was determined by a Dao Source, and the Tai Xuan Realm was still affected to some extent.

Compared to the era of extraordinary manifestation, the chaotic sea of ​​the current Dharma-ending Age is much more oppressive and lifeless.

Theoretically speaking, the world has lost the possibility of an energy level leap in this era.

Only when the spiritual tide revives will everything change.

Perhaps at that time, not only will the world itself be able to undergo another energy level leap, but some of the limitations that originally existed on the path of cultivators will also disappear.

And so, I don't know how much time passed.

The eternally lonely, boundless chaotic sea seems to have undergone some changes.

It was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible, yet it affected countless worlds.

On the distant shore of the Chaos Sea, a pair of eyes suddenly appeared, burning with blazing divine fire, seemingly containing countless gods, reflecting the birth and death of immeasurable worlds every second.

Holy One!

He noticed the changes on the other side of the chaotic sea, so He appeared to investigate.

As if he had thought of something, the Holy Venerable's heart stirred slightly.

Immediately, His gaze pierced through reality and illusion, traversing the vast chaos, and gazing at the other side of the chaotic sea.

In His perception, an infinitely majestic yet incomparably tiny figure, seemingly boundless yet existing in the minuscule, bearing endless mysteries, was revealing its existence to the entire chaotic sea.

Its size far exceeds that of Dongzhen, and it has completely reached the level of an enlightened being.

"A newly enlightened being in the Dharma-ending Age...?"

Age of the End of Law.

While it has an impact on cultivators below the Dao Integration level, the impact on those above the Dao Integration level is only so-so.

In other words, practitioners who have reached the Dao level can still continue their cultivation.

One can naturally attain immortality and ascend to heaven.

At this moment, countless fine branches entwined around the newly enlightened one. Some were lush and green, like tender new shoots, full of vitality, while others were withered and yellow, as if they would rot and break at any moment, deathly and eerie.

They traveled through the surging chaotic air currents, expanding as if they were alive, encompassing trillions of worlds in an instant.

An inexplicable aura invaded the world, directly turning the world itself into a strange yellowish-green color.

From a distance, it looks like a towering tree, laden with numerous yellow and green fruits, suddenly appearing in the chaotic sea.

It reaches the Great Mystery above and supports the Heavenly Demon below.

Sensing the strange yet dignified and contradictory aura, a trace of solemnity flashed in the eyes of the Holy Venerable.

It is clearly only the first stage of enlightenment, so in principle, this newly enlightened being should not make Him feel any danger.

Can……

Just a glimpse across the chaotic sea from afar gave Him a strange sense of dread.

This newly enlightened one is no less than Him.

This understanding was like a brand, deeply etched into the depths of His heart.

Silently.

An inexplicable anomaly quietly occurred.

Then, the countless gods manifested in the Holy Venerable's eyes underwent a strange distortion. Their divine bodies swelled up, and tiny, eerie branches grew out from within them.

Ok? !

In an instant, the divine fire burning in his eyes expanded a thousandfold!
The boundless chaos suddenly surged.

Amidst the crackling sounds of scorching heat, the eerie branches quickly turned charred black, eventually being burned to ashes by the flames.

wrong!

Just who is this newly enlightened one?
He had originally intended to get to know him, since he was the second person besides himself from outside the Tai Xuan Realm to attain this level of enlightenment.

But now, after what just happened, the idea of ​​getting to know this newly enlightened being has vanished without a trace.

Just as the Holy Venerable was filled with dread.

Buzz!

A clear, melodious sword cry resounded through the chaos, and then a dazzling sword light descended from the highest point.

The surging red light illuminates the heavens and covers all worlds.

Looking around, there was nothing but this endless red light; even the Holy One could not escape this worldly existence.

A fleeting moment, or perhaps eternity.

When perception returns to clarity, whether it's the strange branches extending in the chaotic sea or that bizarre yet majestic, contradictory aura, it all comes down to it.

All the inexplicable signs of enlightenment disappeared.

It was as if nothing had happened.

"..."

After a long silence, he took a deep look at the supreme Tai Xuan Realm, and then his eyes, burning with divine fire, disappeared into the rolling chaotic aura.

……

……

Taixuan Realm.

Inner sect of the Sword Sect, in front of the Sword Ancestor's Hall.

"I never imagined that someone could attain enlightenment in the Dharma-ending Age."

Ning Ruo was standing next to Xu Xing, looking in the direction where Xu Xing's sword had just struck.

"Did Brother Xu foresee this all along?"

"No." Xu Xing shook his head slightly.

The future belongs to the future; he had already made that decision long ago.

If everything were already known, the world would be far too boring.

"It is truly beyond my expectations that someone can prove the truth in this era."

He originally thought it would be Qian Ning, since the path that Xiao Qian Ning followed was the end of Dharma.

Unexpectedly, someone else was able to attain enlightenment before her.

"However, his enlightenment this time did reveal something to me."

"Hmm?" Ning Ruo was a little puzzled.

"Do you remember the original 'cause' I mentioned to you?"

The initial 'cause'...

"Chen Yin? What does this have to do with him?"

Although he achieved perfect enlightenment in less than a century, with one foot already in the threshold of Dao attainment, compared to an enlightened being...

“It’s not Chen Yin, it’s the original ‘cause’,” Xu Xing explained. “Everything, everything, the source of the source.”

The chaotic sea before he achieved the Dao Source can be seen as part of that initial 'cause'.

“This newly enlightened one must have obtained a small part of the original ‘cause’, which is why he chose to prove the Way in this era.”

"You mean... he used the end times themselves to avoid some potential dangers?"

Ning Ruo finally realized what was happening.

"Not bad," Xu Xing said with a smile.

If one attained enlightenment before the Dharma-ending Age, it's uncertain whether it was due to his attainment of immortality or the revival of a part of his 'cause'.

Even if the original 'cause' never intended to be revived.

The source of the Tao is the source of the Tao.

Even those who have attained enlightenment appear insignificant compared to him.

But the Dharma-ending Age is different; this is a trend set by a being who briefly reached the Dao Source Realm.

Therefore, from the moment the inspiration began to fade, the chaotic sea itself was no longer part of the 'cause'.

Proving the Way in this era can also minimize the possibility of a resurgence of the 'cause'.

Of course, risks still exist.

However, judging from the results, this newly enlightened one has clearly succeeded.

"So, shall we go and meet that fellow Daoist?" Xu Xing asked Ning Ruo.

"Hmm." (End of Chapter)