Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 580 Blood of Old Wood
Yellow sand filled the sky, and the wind howled.

The green leaves in the sky withered at a speed visible to the naked eye, the heavy radiance of the pure land broke free from the void, and the voice of the evil land grew colder and colder.

The perilous pass trembled, the golden thunder serpent formation flags shook violently, and an extremely heavy pressure came from the sky above, causing the void to shatter inch by inch, from which brilliant light and chanting continuously poured out.

The Pure Land, like a living thing, sprouted countless golden mouths from its edges, each with beastly teeth, gnawing at its surroundings. It swallowed up the thunderclouds and radiant light in the sky, along with many heavenly soldiers, who were also swallowed by the golden mouths and turned into yellow dust.

Qingdan and Zhushen returned to their positions, transforming into beast-headed human figures and chanting scriptures. The black locusts beside them trembled and continued to evolve, densely packed like ocean waves, with piercing insect screech echoing continuously.

Amidst the resounding chants and soaring radiance, this pure land rapidly descended, splitting open the desert to reveal a dark abyss. From within, a strange beast, as large as a mountain and towering above the clouds, slowly emerged.

This beast resembles a sheep, draped in a veil of dust, with horns made of bronze and fur cast in gold. Its yellow eyes are cold and disdainful, surveying all directions. Clusters of karmic fire, like lotus flowers, fall beneath its hooves, lifting it up, as if all the evil and gluttonous energy in the world has settled upon it.

Its mouth is slightly open, revealing a magnificent and majestic clay statue inside, softly chanting Sanskrit, exuding a pure and carefree nature, with golden lotuses of vows blooming on the ground.

On the beast's back stood another azure palace, majestic and mysterious, where barrenness and abundance intertwined, exuding an aura of immortality.

Another jade plaque hangs in front of the palace gate, inscribed with the words "Qingyang Xuansi". On either side are hanging couplets made of blue cloth, which read "The season is in the depths" and "The black sheep emerges from the earth".

A man dressed in a blue Taoist robe with yellow patterns landed on the beast's back, his handsome features radiating an ethereal aura. His sharp gaze swept across the surroundings as he calmly recited:
"The Dharma realm arises from causes and conditions, and all things are unobstructed. With one mind and two doors, one remains unchanged while adapting to circumstances."

The heavens and earth began to fluctuate and tremble. Countless causes and conditions circulated and harmonized in this pure land. The life of every cultivator began to shine, reflecting the figures of all the other people present.

Like a beaded curtain unfolding, each cultivator is a bright pearl, reflecting countless shadows.

The green wood was raised high, and the dragon's aura spread. The figure of the Immortal Yili appeared from the void. The evergreen nature of the Jia wood manifested, spreading green light to protect all cultivators and rising to counteract the Buddha's light in the sky.

Supernatural powers, [Ren Chunqiu].

As a divine power of the Jia Wood element, this method can not only bless oneself but also protect others, preventing them from being tainted by external evils and maintaining their true nature. It uses the evergreen light of Jia Wood to protect the body, which is truly mysterious. However, it is currently at a disadvantage.

The azure light was devoured by the mouth of a golden beast that emerged from the pure land, causing the precious wood to wither. The demons on either side of the beast activated their magical artifacts and together summoned a yellow cloth bag.

As the bag swelled, a yellow wind suddenly arose, causing the green trees to sway and their branches to break.

With a sneer, the Taoist Chishi on the beast's back raised his hand, and a dozen heavenly soldiers fell into the Pure Land without a sound, being swallowed whole by the beast's mouth.

The world was dark, and all kinds of light shone in. Cause and effect and fate were intertwined. Wounds appeared on the body of Master Yili. His robes were torn, as if he had been gnawed at, and his essence was swallowed up.

The Grand Master of the Qinghua Sect narrowed his gaze slightly, his tone grew solemn, and he lightly shook the dragon-headed cane in his hand, saying only:
"The Ten Profound Origins, the Six Aspects in Harmony, the [Endless Dharma Gate of Origin], you are already ready to become a Venerable One."

The world was completely silent. All the brilliance of the primordial stars, the incense of the divine path, and the spiritual light of the Jia wood were suppressed by the karmic connection within this pure land. The Taoist priest in the blue and yellow robe on the beast's back looked on coldly.

"You killed one of my great disciples, Taizhen. Do you think I'm easy to bully? You sent a dying Wufa (a minor martial arts practitioner) and think he can overpower me?"

He stood proudly on the beast's spine, the Azure Sheep Mystic Palace behind him shining brightly, the barren soil and the light of a bountiful year circulating in cycles, making him seem more like a great immortal being.

Xu Xuan stood holding his sword, looking up. Even with the Golden Scale and Thunder Swords in his hands, he felt an insurmountable gap. The opponent's realm was simply too high, and no external force could erase this gap.

He might be able to use the power of the spirit sword to cut through the Pure Land and injure his opponent, but he would inevitably die before that.

Within the inner realm, the golden-white light of Shaoyang surged, and Tian Tuo subtly sensed it, his tone gradually deepening:
"Hua Shiyi, although he has borrowed the Pure Land from the evil land, he has already attained enlightenment and is worthy of the title of Bodhisattva. He can discuss Buddhism with the monk Gu Zhou."

Unlike the Pure Land practice, Hua Shi still retains many traces of ancient Buddhist teachings. It is only now, in order to enter the world, that the Pure Land method is used. The fundamental principle is still based on the "Dharma Realm Origination," which emphasizes mutual origination, mutual inclusion, and mutual integration. It is the most profound path of cause and effect.

Despite the interference of cause and effect, the evil land, which was presiding over the Pure Land, cultivated the "Dharma of Infinite Dependent Origination," a teaching that even ancient Buddhist monks found difficult to comprehend. This is what is truly astonishing.

"Although I had heard of his name in the past, I never imagined that he had already reached this point, and becoming a Venerable One was just around the corner."

Tian Tuo sighed, noting that the other person had transitioned from a celestial being to a Buddhist monk, achieving great success in both the Buddhist and Buddhist paths, a feat rarely seen throughout history.

The energy of Jia wood surged forth, causing the trunk of the Yinyu Treasure Tree to sprout countless dragon and snake scales, rising into the sky to resist the Pure Land. With an extremely strong power to break through obstacles and barriers, it was trying to break out of this Pure Land.

Supernatural power, [Lingyun Wood].

Yi Li's expression was solemn. Only someone who had truly clashed with the evil land could deeply feel the terror of the opponent's cultivation level.

As a figure who once possessed all five qualities of the Earth element, he was only one step away from the Golden Rank, yet he resolutely surrendered. No one could know the thoughts of this Bodhisattva of the Evil Earth. Having cultivated to this point, he was about to reach the realm of the Venerable One, but he stopped there.

The yellow sheep beast moved at this moment, and the Azure Sheep Mystic Palace on its back opened, from which a large cauldron slowly emerged.

This ancient-style bronze cauldron is depicted in ancient sacrificial scenes, as well as images of demons and monsters. In the center is a deity, half-human and half-goat, emerging from the ground.

Within it lay countless piles of white bones and corpses, with blood flowing like a river. Countless wails and screams echoed from within, and a demonic body, half-goat and half-human, could be faintly seen sinking inside, its malevolent aura soaring to the sky.

"【The Ghost Sheep Feeding Cauldron】!"

Yi Li's eyes burned brightly, and her supernatural powers changed, but the evergreen aura of Jia Wood gradually dimmed, and at present she could only protect the area around herself.

He immediately roared:
"Kamibu retreat first!"

Countless black locusts emerged from the cauldron like a tidal wave, devouring countless heavenly soldiers, leaving not a trace of bone or blood. The wounds inflicted by these locusts quickly spread to several Purple Mansions.

The Vermilion Bird's divine feathers were unleashed, and the flames roared fiercely. However, the beast's mouth opened slightly, and the yellow clay Buddha body inside softly chanted a Buddhist mantra. The Pure Land blazed brightly, overpowering the divine light and causing the support of the incense offerings from the divine path to slow down.

Xingyou was the first to suffer the backlash. Her physical body exploded, blood mist spread, and her original form was revealed. She fell straight into the dangerous pass, and the flames were extinguished.

A painful dragon roar followed, and most of Xi Wuyai's dragon body was devoured by something, leaving behind a horrifying sight of white bones. He was barely able to retreat back into the formation, protected by Qing Lang.

Thunderous light surged, and Zhuoxie activated his supernatural powers, protecting all the cultivators as they returned to the perilous pass. His face was ashen, and he remained silent.

Now that things have come to this, Evil Earth is finally willing to use its methods, revealing its cultivation accumulated over thousands of years, and firmly suppressing all other cultivators.

"Walk."

Wan Jin spoke calmly as he picked up the severed head of a woman from the ground and sheathed the golden scales.

At this point, only the most elite cultivators are worthy of standing on the battlefield; everyone else is a burden. Only the Great Master Yili can hold them off.

Xu Xuan once again summoned his sword, cleaving open the Pure Land. His injuries were not light either, and he still needed to suppress the Water-Transforming Demon Light and the Black Tide Sword Intent, so he naturally would not confront them head-on.

The two departed, flying away on the wind. The Pure Land behind them continued to spread, forcing the cultivators to retreat further until the yellow sand swirled and completely buried the green soil, obscuring its interior.

A hush fell over the crowd. The methods employed by this evil sorcerer were so astonishing that the cultivators present couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

Can that Master Yili really withstand it?
A faint dragon's roar echoed between heaven and earth, and billowing wood energy arose, with branches and leaves obscuring the sky and sun. Finally, a dragon-shaped azure light soared into the sky, breaking through the pure land, and within the radiance was a drop of crystal-clear azure blood.

The energy that was far more terrifying than that of the Pure Land shattered the void, and vegetation began to grow in the vast desert within a radius of a hundred miles, with lush branches and leaves.

In an instant, the boundless desert turned blue, and that pure land began to twist and collapse. The sandstorm fell, and the yellow sheep beast in the middle was crushed and collapsed, its four hooves on the ground.

Thousands of years of accumulation, the understanding of ancient and modern Dharma teachings, and all kinds of cause and effect karma were all controlled by this drop of blue blood.

The Taoist in green robes, the Buddha in yellow clay, and the demonic body within the cauldron—these three figures simultaneously raised their heads, gazing at the drop of blood within the dragon-shaped azure light. Their voices were cold as they spoke:
"The blood of the True Lord, you, Qinghua, have kept it hidden for so long, are you not going to use it?"

Even though the Pure Land was shattered and true nature was suppressed, the Evil Land seemed to have anticipated this situation and did not retreat. Instead, it had the two demons beside it fully activate the [Nether Sheep Feeding Cauldron].

Yili looked down and sighed softly:
"Disciple Ji Wangli respectfully invites [Lord Mengzhang Yumu]."

As the blue light dissipated, the drop of blood fell straight down, and the nature of the entire pure land began to change. The light shattered, vegetation sprouted, and the sandstorm subsided.

The enormous, mystical yellow sheep began to stir restlessly, struggling and roaring. Countless rays of light emanated from both the Nether Sheep Feeding Cauldron and the Azure Sheep Mystic Palace, but they all vanished in that drop of blood.

The Taoist standing on the beast's back slowly raised his head. His face was broken, and streaks of golden blood flowed from his features, but he only looked up.

'This is the Golden Elixir, this is the True Lord.'

The Pure Land rioted, the sheep scattered, and in the end, it was the Azure Sheep Palace that rose into the sky, smashed open the void, and protected the Evil Land and the two great masters as they fled north.

The demonic laughter still echoed in the sky, carried by the wind and sand.

"Pan Zhang has perished, Qinghua is no more, but the old trees should be returned."

After the monks left, the vast desert, spanning hundreds of miles, was now covered with dense, lush forests that blocked out the sunlight. What was once an extremely barren desert had become a sacred place for the cultivation of trees.

Above the clouds, Yi Li's face rapidly aged, with streaks of green scales covering his hands and neck, making him look ferocious and grotesque. His aura grew weaker and weaker, and he trembled before finally standing still, leaning on his dragon-headed cane.

Thunderous light surged, and Zhuoxie rose on the wind. He usually wore a cold expression, but now a hint of sorrow appeared on his face.
"senior!"

Yi Li nodded with difficulty, her pupils unfocused, but the extremely powerful Jia Wood Divine Power remained as uncontrollable as ever, causing the wooden dragon in the sky to soar and purple lightning to surge forth.

"With Qingrang captured, my mission is accomplished."

He looked at Zhuo Xie, his lips moved slightly, but his voice became barely audible. He said a few words, which made Zhuo Xie's expression grow even more somber. He simply nodded.

"Please follow me into the Divine Department, senior, to await your reward. Qinghua's victory over the evil land is a great achievement."

Zhuoxie's tone was tinged with bitterness, but Yili beside him shook her head, her voice as still as wood, her eyes vacant.

"It's time to go back to the mountain. There are only a few years left. Suyun is still waiting for me."

The void shattered, and the wood energy surged forth. The figure of this Great Immortal vanished in an instant, leaving only the vast wood energy dissipating and advancing northward.

The divine forces regrouped and occupied Qingrang. Ahead lay boundless grasslands and deserts, and one could almost smell the metallic scent emanating from the northern air.

As the Yuanluo Star shone brightly, the Li Fire burned, and incense and golden energy descended from the void, beginning to heal the injuries of these heavenly soldiers and generals at an extremely fast pace. Even the most severely injured Xi Wuyai gradually regained his mobility, and his dragon body was slowly restored.

Xu Xuan had not received any divine blessing and was currently struggling to suppress his injuries. Wan Jin, who was standing nearby, seized the opportunity to lean in and whispered:
"The Great Master [Fu Chang] of Mu Wushan made a move, leaving Yan and heading west, bringing out the hidden Feng Yan and disrupting the Liao army's formation."

Wan Jin sighed with emotion:

"Now that the gateway to Dai has been captured, we should proceed directly. This is the matter for King Lanshan. Many cultivators have arrived from Liyang Heaven. I, Taizhen—"

His words came to an abrupt halt, and Mei Ye, clad in silver armor, stepped forward, his expression not very pleasant.

"Uncle-Master, our sect's most precious treasures should not be given away lightly."

“It was given to Master by the True Lord, and Master ordered me to make the decision myself. Since the Geng metal has not changed, then there is nothing to worry about.”

"you!"

Mei Ye took a deep breath, turned to look at Xu Xuan, and said in a deep voice:

“Xu Jianxian, the Golden Scale is the number one sword in the North, but our sect rarely uses it. There is a reason for this. My uncle is a man who acts without restraint, so it is best to stay away from him.”

She turned and left to continue setting up the formation.

Wan Jin, standing to the side, looked somewhat embarrassed and forced a smile:
"This younger generation in my family is so ill-mannered, they don't even respect me, their elder. They've really grown up."

"What is that drop of blood?"

Xu Xuan was puzzled, but seeing Wan Jin's somewhat wary expression, he lowered his voice:

"This was left behind by the True Lord of Qinghua. Just over a hundred years after the founding of the Great Li Kingdom, the True Lord Panzhang left the cave and disappeared without a trace. Suddenly, the immortal tree he stood on dripped blood, which condensed into this thing."

"With the blood returning to the dragon form, Qinghua has completely declined, becoming similar to Taiping Mountain, and will have to descend from its own sect."

Wan Jin spoke softly, looking towards the Yuanluo Star in the southern sky.

"His Majesty is extremely cold-hearted and shows no mercy. Taiping and Qinghua are now truly without support and are likely to be consumed by the flames of war."

"I wonder, what is the golden rank that True Lord Panzhang attained?"

Xu Xuan seemed to have guessed something; all the signs had already foreshadowed the fate of that True Monarch Qinghua.

"It is the former position of the Heavenly Dragon Lord, an extremely mystical golden position, which has some affinity with Shaoyang."

The surrounding trees swayed, their bark twisting like dragon scales, lush and verdant.

(End of this chapter)