Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 569 Nandu
Leaving the state.

This place was newly designated, bordering Yan and Yun to the north and Wu and Yue to the south. It perfectly guarded the north-south boundary of Dali and was not far from the East Sea. It was the place where the new capital was located.

The prefecture is mostly plains, with the Li River meandering through it. Instead of being divided into prefectures, it is all under the unified governance of the central city, Nandu.

Dragon towers and phoenix pavilions, golden palaces and jade halls, layer upon layer of palaces conceal the scene deep within the capital city, a river shimmering with starlight winds around the city, and rows of apricot trees are planted below the city, with crimson flames hanging from their branches.

Only the vermilion imperial palace in the center hangs high in the sky, supported by fiery clouds and reflected by the sunlight. The palaces are scattered among them, guarding the central palace that exudes golden aura. The celestial plaque hangs high, and the imperial aura permeates the air. It is named "Ying Li".

This city rose overnight from the ground, occupying almost half of the state. The Immortal Fire Array burned day and night, reflecting a constant crimson glow on the horizon, with rolling red clouds.

Today is the summer solstice.

The star Yuanluo, representing fire, rises high in the southern sky, its inner part empty and its outer part bright, with flames surging upwards. The vast radiance of fire clings to the heavens, seemingly in eternal flames.

Clouds condensed into a long road leading to the south gate, which was carved with the Vermilion Bird and black patterns. Carriages and horses came and went, and white-robed attendants on both sides carried Vermilion Bird and Flaming Star banners to clear the way and welcome the Hundred Immortals to the court.

The void shattered, and a thunder chariot forged from silver and iron fell from the sky, its silver currents dissipating. It was driven by a thunder god soldier, traveling through the clouds towards the city.

Xu Xuan's heart was as still as water. Now, being brought to the capital by the Thunder Department, he had truly arrived at the power center of the Great Li Immortal Path, a place where the Northern and Southern Immortal Paths converged.

He paid no attention to the magnificent and majestic scenery of the imperial capital, but silently looked at the Yuanluo star in the southern sky, which represented the Li Huo fruit position.

Using the pure energy, Tian Tuo peered outwards and also noticed that star:
"The Great Li Kingdom has been established for six hundred years. This Yuanluo has only been lit up three times. The first time was when Li Ping Qi was unified. That great man proved the Li Fire at Chongming Mountain, which made Yuanluo shine again. The second time was when Li and Liao were fighting. That true lord took action and confronted the Liao Emperor."

"As for this time..."

The old demon seemed somewhat wary, and his movements as he peered out became cautious. He dared not use any more secret techniques and relied solely on pure energy.

"Every True Lord has a celestial star representing their position. Once it shines, it indicates that they have begun to interfere in the mortal world. Everything that happens where Yuan Luo shines is under the watchful eye of that great one. You should be careful in your words and deeds in the future."

"Since that's the case, we'll have to be more careful in the future."

Xu Xuan looked through the curtain at the sunlit earth and, upon considering the meaning behind it, felt a sense of unease.

"Gentlemen of the Golden Core stage, if one day you truly disregard everything and decide to take action..."

The power of the Golden Elixir is truly earth-shattering. According to the records of the great chaos in the Northern Wei Dynasty, the earth's veins were broken and shattered, and many seas fell into the void. In the end, it was the True Lord Fangji who quelled the chaos with his great power.

"Fellow Daoist Bijie".

Suddenly, a shout came from outside. Xu Xuan lifted the curtain and found that they had already entered the city and were heading towards the imperial palace.

A cloud of light descended, and the black-robed immortal descended with the wind. He was handsome and extraordinary, with a pure demonic aura between his brows. A black tiger, now smaller than its original size, lay lazily on his shoulder, basking in the sun.

"Fellow Daoist Nanwang."

A smile appeared on Xu Xuan's face. He temporarily left the thunder chariot and, accompanied by the martial arts master, slowly made his way towards the vermilion imperial palace high in the sky.

Dan Ting flew out, transforming into a thunderbird, and landed on Xu Xuan's shoulder, beginning to chirp. Its silver feathers unfurled, and its dark bird eyes stared at the black tiger, looking smug and showing off.

Xu Xuan grabbed the Thunder Sparrow and stuffed it under his sleeve, looking slightly embarrassed.

"It's been many days since I last saw it, and this [Dan Ting] has actually transformed into a spiritual treasure. I wonder which alchemist made it?"

Nan Wang looked slightly surprised, but he had already guessed that it was the work of that True Immortal. There were only a handful of alchemists in the north.

"It was forged for me by the Candle Sword Master of Guyang. Just in terms of sword forging alone, he must be one of the top swordsmiths in Dali."

"So it's this person."

Nan Wang understood immediately; he had recently received battle reports and was aware of the heroic deeds of the swordsman Xu beside him.

The enemy was not only the main force that conquered Qinghu, but also single-handedly destroyed the Pure Land of the Path of Rebirth, annihilating Mingying in both form and spirit.

This battle has established the identity of the person beside him as someone who is at the top level of the Purple Mansion realm, below even the most powerful cultivators. Even some late-stage Purple Mansion cultivators who have accumulated years of experience would probably find it difficult to compare with him.

To put it bluntly, the power unleashed by sword intent combined with a suitable spiritual sword far surpasses that of the supernatural abilities of certain weaker lineages, such as those of Xin metal or Guang wood.

Xu Xuan's age is also terrifyingly young. If you calculate carefully, he is only a little over a hundred years old now. If he were to progress even faster, he could probably cultivate the Four Divine Powers by the time he is over two hundred years old, and master all five techniques by the time he is over three hundred years old.

In other words, the immortal path will face a peak Purple Mansion level Thunder Sword Immortal for two hundred years. Just thinking about this scene is terrifying enough.

"I have heard that Bijie recently defeated Liao Shi. Even Your Majesty has heard of this in the grotto heaven. You will surely be rewarded for coming to court this time."

Nan Wang spoke casually, but Xu Xuan felt a sense of doubt.

"I wonder, from which generation of the Song family does this current emperor belong, and what is his cultivation level?"

Upon hearing this, Nan Wang's expression changed slightly, and his voice lowered a few decibels:
"Under the influence of the Fire, it is not wise to speak lightly. The Emperor's bloodline is second only to the True Monarch, and his cultivation level is also so."

His words were cryptic and ambiguous, yet they aroused Xu Xuan's curiosity.

At this moment, Tian Tuo quietly said:

"Chi is a type of wood glue used to catch birds. Using fire to create a net does indeed imply catching feathers, but it feels rather strange that His Majesty uses 'chi' as a symbol."

As the two were talking, they had already arrived in front of the imperial palace.

Surrounded by clouds and towering palaces, many divine passages could be seen coming and going, almost converging the immortal paths of the north and south. In front of this cloud path alone, Xu Xuan saw at least four or five True Persons.

“There’s still some time before we go to court. My ancestors wish to meet Fellow Daoist Xu. The master said that you can come to court with them. The Thunder Department has already made arrangements.” Nan Wang’s tone was light, but the implied meaning in his words made Xu Xuan have some doubts.

'By not taking the Thunder Department's passage, but instead following the martial arts family, they can demonstrate their stance; ultimately, they still belong to the path of immortality.'

Xu Xuan vaguely sensed the other party's meaning. Although he had now received the position of a divine general, he was still not involved in any religious activities. Even though there were offerings in the Thunder Shrine, they did not use his real name, so they were completely unrelated.

He cannot currently sense the [Dou Shu Shang Fa Seal] and borrow its divine power like the true divine generals and heavenly soldiers of the Thunder Department.

It can be said that Xu Xuan is currently only in a nominal position, but in terms of official rank, he is on par with Wei Hua and Zhuo Xie.

However, even so, many people are probably worried about the appearance of a Thunder God General, which is indeed something to be wary of. Being able to enter the court with Empress Wu is, in a way, a good thing.

"I have long wanted to pay my respects to you, senior, and today is the perfect opportunity."

Xu Xuan smiled and agreed, then followed Nan Wang into the imperial palace, heading towards a dark hall on the right. In front of them, light seemed to gather, as if scorching black snow was drifting down.

Given the power and prestige of this True Man of the Northern Yin, he even has a separate hall in the imperial palace, which shows how much the imperial family values ​​him.

The door was wide open, and the interior was pitch black. It seemed as if someone gently tapped the bronze handrail, and the heavy lamplight dissipated, and the candlelight was relit, illuminating the four walls.

"please."

Nan Wang bowed, gesturing for Xu Xuan to enter the hall first, followed closely by himself. For some reason, Xu Xuan also sensed a slight tension in the expression of this True Man.

The green candles burned dimly, and an old cultivator in a black Taoist robe sat quietly on the black iron throne. His hair was white, his expression was cold and stern, and his eyes were pitch black, without a trace of white.

An extremely powerful Qi supernatural power was concentrated on this person. Under Xu Xuan's perception, the other party was like a Heavenly Demon Ferry, which could easily arouse extremely deep and heavy demonic nature.

The head of the Wu family, the True Man of Beiyin.

'This is a person of great supernatural power.'

Xu Xuan clearly sensed the difference between the two. The other's life was far more important than his own, and his supernatural powers seemed to be able to manipulate the deep demonic nature within the void.

"Da Chi Xu Xuan greets senior."

The old cultivator in black robes on the seat nodded slightly, his dark eyes looking down, and said solemnly:

"Have you ever seen the Gate of No Thought?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall changed instantly. Xu Xuan's mind raced, but he never expected that the other party would see through his unusual behavior at a glance.

Nan Wang, standing to the side, was even more alarmed. As a cultivator of Qi, he naturally understood even better what the current Wunian Demon Barrier represented.

Xu Xuan's thoughts shifted slightly. He wanted to use the other party's words to probe the methods of the Delightful Demon Land, so he replied:

"I have suffered at the hands of the Delightful Desire Realm, but I do not know what the Barrier of No Thought is."

Bei Yin, seated on the throne, rose with a flick of his sleeve, causing a surge of light that made the candlelight in the hall flicker.

"The Land of Delightful Desire, indeed, only this place possesses such methods. You haven't yet overcome it, but when you reach the Purple Peak in the future, the demonic trials you will face will undoubtedly be even more terrifying."

The great master mentioned the Land of Delightful Desire with a rather complex tone:

"The former Immortal Lord... Ah, I am ashamed to have received the title of [Northern Yin]. That great man was a manifestation of primordial energy, who once took control of the vital energy and reincarnation, and thus established the rules of the demonic test, setting the [Demon Barrier of No Thought].

"This object is of such high status that it can be compared with the [Primordial Myriad Tribulations] of the Thunder Palace. They are the fundamental artifacts of the Qi of Extinction and the Thunder of the Land, respectively. Even the True Lords of later generations have not been able to lift it."

"Aside from the treasures of the Three Pure Ones, the [Demon Gate] and [Myriad Calamities], these things taken from the fruition level, are the most terrifying artifacts in the world today."

He sighed and continued:

"In the past, to become a Purple Mansion cultivator, one had to first overcome inner demons and then undergo tribulation by lightning to cleanse one's life before being considered an immortal. In this era, the [Demon Barrier of No Thoughts] rarely manifests, and at most it only tests cultivators at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm."

"I wonder what methods that Demonic Land of Delight used?"

Xu Xuan looked puzzled, but inwardly he was recalling what the Great Master had said. The other party had vaguely revealed the distinction between magic weapons of the Golden Core stage and above, and the so-called Three Pure Ones' Treasures...
"Do you know the true nature of the Delightful Realm of Desire?"

Bei Yin's tone grew increasingly solemn, and Nan Wang, standing beside him, also changed his expression slightly, as if recalling some taboo, and whispered:

"Ancestor, this..."

"It's alright. With the fire shining, we'll be fine discussing these things here."

The black pupils of this Great True Man of the Dao of Qi gradually brightened, and his aura began to emerge, emanating a divine aura that made people's hearts tremble, carrying all sorts of destructive, obstructive, and demonic intent.

“I have heard that the master of the Water Transformation Path in the past was the True Lord of Compassion.”

"In order to pacify the ruins, He fell into two parts, which became one good and one evil, namely the [Yuanmu] and the [True Demon], thus creating the Land of Delightful Desires."

Xu Xuan recounted everything he knew, but Bei Yin above only solemnly said:

"Yes and no, the so-called Yuanmu and Zhenmo are all Buddhist terms, not titles. That [Great Bliss True Demon Bodhisattva], who is also the original form of [Great Bliss Heaven], is the master of the Water Transformation position, and is—"

"【External Laws Freedom and Expansive Desires】".

(End of this chapter)