Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 417: Venerable

West Sea.

As the light of the anode passed by, the roc spread its wings, stirring up the seawater. It bypassed the black flames and salt crust covering the continent of Deva, and the seawater gradually became viscous, turning from dark blue to milky white.

Looking westward, the seawater had turned to milk, a pure white expanse, thick and sticky like ointment.

Many volcanoes rise abruptly from the sea, spewing forth crimson flames that ignite the remaining black ash in the air, causing them to explode instantly and disrupting the sea's movement.

Xu Xuan withdrew his escape technique and stood on a cloud. This sea was the edge of the Great Yan Milk Sea, quite close to the fire cave that the Dragon Palace had once created.

Along the way, we saw many ruins submerged in the sea. They were all enormous palaces, having been refined by real fire, hanging on mountaintops or at sea, having lost all their spirituality.

"The dragons of the Western Yang region prefer to live in mountains and caves, walk in dragon bodies, and often fight with non-heavenly beings."

He began to peruse the "Secret Scrolls of the Dark Swamp," which contained few records about this dragon species, mentioning it only briefly.

The Spirit Thunder Messenger of Dali is a remnant of the Western Yang. Its original form is red scales, golden horns, and large wings. Its sturdy demonic body is commendable, but compared to the Southern Sea and Eastern Han, it has lost some of its immortal aura and is more like a beast.

The only remaining remnants of this dragon species are the few fire caves in the Western Sea, which were originally the dwellings of the ancient dragon species, but have now been transformed into places for harvesting spiritual fire.

True fire is balanced in yin and yang, and can be transformed into fire of the three paths of Bing, Ding, and Zhen. The Great Flame Milk Sea is the largest of these fire caves, called the [Flame Cave], which produces a lot of spiritual fire of the three paths of Bing, Ding, and Zhen.

Above the milky white sea, there are many poisonous clouds, and the evil atmosphere is ever-changing, so that birds do not fly across and fish do not swim through.

'This Sea of ​​Milk is a rare and spiritually potent place, comparable to a sacred land of salvation. It should have given birth to many living beings, but instead, it is afflicted by this poisonous barrier.'

Xu Xuan's mind stirred slightly, and he used his magic power to gather a wisp of the blue poison barrier from afar. He sensed it carefully, and as his black scales moved, his dragon energy changed, which dissolved most of the poison. The remaining bit was completely destroyed by the movement of lightning.

'This poison barrier has very little effect on dragons.'

With his mind made up, he once again rode the thunder, trying his best to conceal his figure. His aura was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Even if he was at the Foundation Establishment stage, he could withstand the poison barrier outside the Sea of ​​Milk with the help of some spiritual objects, so it would not arouse suspicion.

As they continued forward, they encountered some living creatures, mostly demons, who were wandering around the edge of the Milky Sea, using some spiritual herbs to seek out water-transforming spiritual objects for their cultivation.

Xu Xuan suppressed his aura and did not attract much attention. This place was not suitable for traveling by Tai Xu, which was quite troublesome.

Continuing forward, one comes to a towering black rock volcano standing on the sea, within which a golden nest is built, with howling winds dispelling the poisonous barrier.

Suddenly, a golden roc emerged from its nest, its eyes gleaming with golden light as it surveyed the surroundings.

Many of the demons present fled in terror, terrified. The golden roc rose from its nest, spread its wings, and each of its divine feathers was like gold. Its aura was between the Foundation Establishment and Purple Mansion stages.

The seawater parted, and the golden roc let out a long cry, swooping down towards Xu Xuan's direction. It seemed to have sensed something, and its eyes showed a hint of covetousness.

Xu Xuan understood what the other party meant, and felt a strange sensation in his heart.

'Is this golden roc going to eat me?'

He stopped and landed on the milky white sea, letting the golden roc swoop down with the gale.

This action was so strange that the Golden Roc was momentarily at a loss. It abruptly stopped its momentum, causing the sea surface to sink. Its pair of golden eyes looked at Xu Xuan with some doubt, and it was locked in a stalemate with him.

It seemed to sense something was wrong; the aura of the serpent that it so coveted was too pure, even making its bloodline somewhat fearful.

Pureblood.

The golden roc recognized the other party's origin and immediately flapped its wings as if it had seen a ghost, wanting to fly away.

Thunder descended from the heavens, yin and yang lightning swirling within. A celestial general, wielding an umbrella and a sword, charged forward, his thunderous sword striking the general and pinning him to the sea.

Along with a large number of heavenly soldiers, they rushed over and bound him tightly with chains. The whole process took less than a few breaths, leaving the Golden Roc no time to react.

Xu Xuan stepped forward slowly, scanning the surroundings with his spiritual sense to make sure no one was watching. Then he saw the Golden Roc speak, in the official language of Dali.

"I don't know which lord of the Dragon Palace you are. This lowly demon is ignorant and has offended you. I hope you will forgive me."

"You understand Li Yan?"

Along the way, Xu Xuan encountered many demons that did not understand human speech. Even when they did speak, they used foreign languages. This Golden Roc was the first one that could speak the official language of Dali.

The thunderous chains tightened, and the golden roc hurriedly begged for mercy:
"I am a lowly demon named Jian Sai, who has lived in this sea for many years. I only seek a few water-transformation spirits to cultivate. Today I have offended you, my lord. I hope you will forgive me."

How did you recognize me?

Xu Xuan felt a stirring in his heart. He had tried his best to suppress his aura and not reveal his presence, but the Golden Roc still sensed him, which was rather strange.

The Purple Heavenly Thunder flowed between the chains. This lightning was most deadly to a physical body; even the Purple Mansion couldn't withstand it, let alone this demon.

He instantly transformed into a roc-headed human with a sharp beak and claws, a wish-fulfilling pearl on his head, and golden wings on his back.

"My lord, please forgive me. I am Jin Zhi. In ancient times, I fought with dragons and serpents. I can sense some of their bloodlines. My lord is a pure-blooded dragon. I have offended you. I beg you to spare my life."

Jian Sai pleaded desperately, the lightning chains binding him still binding him, but not exerting any force, allowing him to catch his breath.

"You, Golden Spear, are quite arrogant, wanting to eat dragons and snakes. I wonder which great sage from ancient times ever came up with that idea?"

"You jest, sir. How can my clan compare to the dragon race? In the past, we merely swallowed a few serpents and presumptuously claimed to eat dragons. We were even dealt with by the Western Yang."

Jian Sai's voice was filled with fear, as he felt that the person in front of him must have mastered multiple supernatural powers to be able to suppress him so easily.

"Open your true spirit, let me plant a bolt of lightning, it won't take your life."

Xu Xuan currently lacks information about the Sea of ​​Milk and does not wish to take the life of the Golden Dragon, but only places a restriction on it to temporarily control it.

Upon hearing Xu Xuan's words, Jin Zhi's gaze faltered, and he hesitated for a moment. However, the lightning chains on his body tightened even more, so he had no choice but to open his true spirit.

Xu Xuan immediately activated his divine power, splitting off a bolt of lightning and planting it on the golden dragon's soul. This method could temporarily control the demon's life, preventing it from acting rashly.

The lightning on Jian Sai's body dissipated, and he rose, immediately kneeling down and respectfully saying:

"Xia Xiujian Sai is of the Jinzhi lineage, practicing the [Sea-Breaking] ritual. May I ask your honorable title, sir?"

“Call me. [Qingliu] is it.”

Xu Xuan's heart stirred, and he casually made up a name. Jian Sai repeatedly called him "Sir" without any suspicion.

“My lord, you have come to the Sea of ​​Milk. I do not know whether you are seeking fire or water. I have been here for a long time and know the answer. I am ready to serve you.”

Jian Sai stepped forward, disregarding his injuries and the fact that his life was in someone else's hands. He was already trying to figure out what the other party meant.

"I have heard that within the Ocean of Milk, there is a unique liquid that transforms into water, a rare treasure in the world, a sacred substance for healing and prolonging life. Is this true?"

Xu Xuan's heart stirred; this was the main reason he had come here. Upon hearing this, Jian Sai immediately raised his head and whispered:

"That is true. There is a [Transforming Essence Water] in the Milk Sea, which is one of the most precious spiritual waters in the world. It is located at the very bottom of the Milk Sea and was controlled by dragons and gods in ancient times."

"Take me there." Xu Xuan's voice was slightly deep. The golden roc was slightly startled and revealed its demonic form as a golden-winged roc, bowing its head low.

"This place is located in the center of the Milk Sea. Do you really wish to go there, sir?"

As he asked the question, Xu Xuan had already landed on his back, using him as a mount. Helpless, the golden-winged roc took off on the wind and headed towards the center.

"Which forces currently control the Sea of ​​Milk?"

When Xu Xuan inquired about this matter, Jian Sai immediately let out a mournful cry and said in a deep voice:
"Dragon Seeds, Asuras, and High Gods have all come here, so it can't be said that any one family has exclusive rights. However, only Dragon Seeds can obtain the [Transforming Essence Water]. The East Sea sends Purple Mansions here every few years."

'As expected, only dragon blood can be obtained.'

Xu Xuan's heart stirred. Recalling Jian Sai's desire to devour the dragon, he felt something was amiss and simply asked:
"You know that the East Sea will send dragon offspring, yet you still dare to attack the serpent. You have quite the nerve."

"This"

Jian Sai was in a difficult situation. This Qingliu Lord's methods of concealment were extremely clever. If he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator with mixed blood, there would be no trace of the East Sea Dragon Clan.

“Our clan’s ritual of splitting the sea requires swallowing a dragon-like serpent to complete, hence my intention to offend you. I hope you will forgive me, sir.”

"Since that dragon lord of Mount Sumeru took action, all the snakes in the Sindhu have found masters. My clan was driven off the shore and can only wander in this sea."

His tone was rather melancholy, as if he had a lot of grievances to share.

"So this lord of my dragon lineage is actually the master of the Sindhu Scale Serpent."

When Xu Xuan heard the mention of dragon offspring, he understood that the other party was referring to the dragon lord who had been released.

"The ancient ruler of the Sindhu snakes was called Shesha, and he passed down a ritual that is now being controlled by a great being who has emerged from Mount Sumeru."

As Jian Sai flew away, he tried to figure out what the dragon meant. He then brought up the matter of dragons and snakes and found that the other party was quite interested.

"The mention of rituals seems to be something Buddhist monks said. How could you be instructed to use them?"

Xu Xuan's voice deepened slightly. This seemed to be a term used by Buddhist monks, but he wondered what the connection was.

"My lord, you may not know this, but the term 'ritual' was originally transmitted by Buddhist monks. The Buddhist land of Sumeru has converted many native creatures of India, including Asuras and gods, which is why this saying came about."

"Most of the ancient cultivation methods have been lost. The methods we practice today are based on those of immortals and monks. Below the levels of Golden Elixir and Enlightenment, there are many commonalities."

Jian Sai continued in a fawning voice:
"The ritual is only judged by the number of methods that can be upheld. The [Sea-Opening] has six methods of upholding. Upholding it once is equivalent to Foundation Establishment, holding it twice is equivalent to Vajra, holding it three times is equivalent to Purple Mansion. Each additional method is like gaining a supernatural power in immortal cultivation, with the highest being comparable to the mid to late stage of Purple Mansion."

"【Shesha】, 【Desheng】, etc. are all nine holdings. If one cultivates them to perfection, one can reach the level of the Golden Elixir and the Enlightened One. In our Taoism, this is called the Holy Holding."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan had a certain understanding. This kind of cultivation method seemed to be more fixed, pointing to a certain position, combined with bloodline and life, and difficult to change.

"I have heard that the ancient ruler of India was the Great Wrath of Heaven. I wonder how many he held and what his name was?"

When Xu Xuan inquired about this matter, Jian Sai paused for a moment upon hearing it, and after a short while, he replied:
"There are twelve of them, and their name is [Beast Lord]. They share the same name with one of His divine objects. It is the highest ritual, which is said to be formed from the water and fire of the immortal path, creating life and destroying everything in its path."

"This ocean of milk was created by this great man in the past."

Jian Sai had already flown to the central area of ​​the Milk Sea, where many blue poisonous barriers grew. Xu Xuanlong's blood could neutralize them, but Jian Sai's demonic body was somewhat unable to withstand them and was about to fall.

Thunder surged, capturing the demon. Xu Xuan casually summoned the Mountain-Driving Whip, using the power of this spiritual treasure to completely suppress Jian Sai, storing it within his inner realm and instantly locking it in with pure energy.

He stood alone at sea, surrounded by a blue poisonous cloud and milky white seawater. Further north, he could see a vast fiery cave bursting forth from the sea, its crimson flames illuminating the sky.

"【Yan Cave】is also located here, so there should be traces of Sheni as well."

Xu Xuan's heart stirred, and he felt something calling to him from beneath the sea.

His gaze pierced through the layers of milky white seawater and saw at the bottom a shrine with several white fish, each as big as a fist, swimming on it.

Various wondrous phenomena manifested around this object, including reviving the dead, restoring flesh to bones, prolonging life, neutralizing evil karma, and transforming into water—its nature was incredibly wondrous.

Xu Xuan activated his supernatural powers and landed in the sea. He did not act rashly at this time. It was difficult for ordinary people to walk in this Milky Sea, and his supernatural powers could not operate smoothly. There were even signs that his supernatural powers were deteriorating.

Xu Xuan remained calm. Before coming here, he had secretly contacted Guangze again through the cave and obtained a lot of information about the place.

The dragon's body possessed the ability to roam this sea. He revealed his dark dragon body, and immediately felt the degenerated and obstructed state of mind dissipate. Xu Xuan leaped down and swam to the bottom in no time.

The water at the bottom became clear again, shimmering with light. Xu Xuanlong's body descended, and he extended a claw, ready to catch three or four white fish without hesitation.

A hand covered with round, golden scales and star-like patterns reached out and blocked Xu Xuan's dragon claw.

"I'll give you one path, but don't take more."

The sound drew Xu Xuanqi's attention, whereupon he saw layers of golden light rising, illuminating the sea. The altar was slowly being raised, supported by a giant, mountain-like serpent's head.

A thousand snake heads stretched out, supporting streaks of stars, each wearing a crown, exuding extreme majesty.

The strange phenomenon vanished in an instant, and the altar remained standing in the sea, returning to normal, with white fish swimming around.

Beside her stood a woman draped in a golden gauze robe, with a beautiful face, her wrists covered in golden scales, her eyes like snakes, and layers of radiant light surrounding her, as the sound of chanting sutras continuously rose.

Upon seeing Xu Xuan, she slightly bent down and looked at him with a smile:

"I am Ashe Dragon Girl, and I have come here to guard the legacy of Xiyang by order of Sumeru [Heavenly Dragon Venerable]."

Her aura had barely reached the Vajra realm, but just now, through some strange phenomenon, she stopped Xu Xuan's movements.

“In previous years, it was always Donghan who came, but today Mingze’s blood relatives have also come. They are quite unfamiliar to us.”

Ashe Dragon Maiden's gaze sharpened slightly, as if deep in thought. A radiant light rose up, separating the outer Sea of ​​Milk. Xu Xuan transformed into human form, already holding a stream of [Transforming Essence Water] in his hand.

'The Heavenly Dragon Venerable... so he was a disciple of the Sumeru lineage.'

"Greetings, Dragon Maiden. I am Mingdu of the Tianhui First Rank. This place was originally under the control of your noble lineage."

Xu Xuan lowered his gaze slightly, his demeanor calm and composed, showing no sign of panic. He subtly sensed the opponent's aura and then saw the Dragon Girl Ashe laugh:

"So you are the master of Tianchi. I was the one who was impolite. I don't come here often. It's quite a coincidence that I'm here today."

Asher Dragon Girl was quite polite; upon seeing her blood relative, her words carried a hint of intimacy, and she only whispered:
“There was a demon who stole a treasure. The lord foresaw that the demon would come here today, so he ordered me to capture it and take it to Mount Sumeru to retrieve the treasure.”

"I have been waiting here all these years, but what I have never expected is the Dragon King of the Netherworld."

'Is Sheni'

Xu Xuan's face remained calm, but his heart was stirred. Could it be that Sumeru had been watching the movements of this demon all along?

(End of this chapter)