Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 631 The Stability of Heaven and Earth
"In the ancient three eras, there was Heaven, Earth, and Man."

"In the year of Tianji, the Bing fire shines on the Buzhou Immortal Mountain, located in the [Zhaoyang Bear]. Its eyes move to become the light of heaven, and its breath becomes the furnace fire."

"In the year of Earthly Cycle, Zhao Xiong was killed, and the Fire Official [Zhu Xian] ascended to the position of Bing, who was the ancestor of Chu. He was friendly with the shamans and died in the southern border."

"In the year of the Human Era, the Yu and Yin dynasties changed. Bing, a celestial being, received the mandate of the sun and came to the world to assist the Great Zhou. Thus, at the beginning of the Great Zhou, the king was in the position of 'Shangli' and also received the position of 'Bing Huo'."

Liu Xiaowen silently began to study this classic text. After flipping through it briefly, he gained some understanding of the origins of the Bing Fire element and even learned about the ancient methods of dating.

“My king is virtuous and has ascended to the throne. Thus, the heavenly light is eternal and the furnace fire never ceases. He has made great use of the shamans and followed the example of his ancestors.”

He looked at the last sentence and understood.

The position of Bing Fire likely changed hands four times in a row, becoming entangled with immortals, sorcerers, and rituals, among others. In the end, King Xiong Huai of Chu chose to return to the path of sorcery.

'During the Zhou Dynasty, a celestial being associated with the fire element (丙火) held power, even assisting the Zhou in its pursuit of Dao, allowing the early Zhou king to receive a Daoist master from 丙火. Since this was done in accordance with the mandate of the sun, wasn't this a scheme by the Daoist lineage of "Bright Daylight"?'

While Liu Xiaowen activated his supernatural powers to absorb the true fire energy from the volcano, he silently perused the classic text and pondered the past events.

The plan to tame the "Bing Fire" using "superior rites" was likely initiated during the Zhou Dynasty, but it was halted and even reversed by the King of Chu.

He continued to peruse the text, only to find that the remaining parts combined witchcraft and the element of fire, exquisite and comprehensive, pointing directly to the Great Dao, and quite useful for improving one's cultivation. There were even many ancient witchcraft techniques.

If there is a fundamental difference between witchcraft and magic, it is that witchcraft emphasizes status and rituals, which are essentially a way of exchanging something with heaven and earth.

Immortals, on the other hand, value life above all else, in addition to their status, and use their own will to manipulate heaven and earth.

Both of these can ascend to the golden position, which can be achieved through witchcraft. It should be a "borrowing path", sacrificing their lives to the fruit position, leaving only the position to match. Every move they make is extremely difficult to exceed the scope of the fruit position, and they do not like to be influenced by it.

Ancient immortal cultivators, on the other hand, "prove the Dao," attaining complete enlightenment in one breath, without any flaws or omissions. They use their own life and even their realm to make those of higher status bow down and become their sovereigns, thus directly reaching the level of immortals.

The Golden Elixir method is for "seeking the Dao," and it also values ​​life and death. However, it is not easy to achieve complete enlightenment in one breath. It is merely about putting on the clothes of a former master of a certain rank, changing one's appearance, gaining the approval of the Golden Rank, ascending first and then taking control, and being able to exert influence.

The differences led Liu Xiaowen to make a guess.

The later-stage tyranny of that King Chu, who ate the flesh and blood of his people, was very likely influenced by the latent malevolent influence of Bing Fire. He ascended the throne through witchcraft, which was a "borrowed path," and he had no ability to change the true nature of the throne; on the contrary, he was controlled by it.

'I had previously thought that it was the King of Chu's tyranny that caused the Bing Fire to become malevolent. But quite the opposite is true; it's highly likely that Bing Fire was harmed by the King's own actions.'

Liu Xiaowen's eyes gleamed. Judging solely from the state of the immortal beasts that Gu Binghuo possessed, whether it was Zhao Xiong or Bing Hu, neither of them were particularly malevolent. They were dignified and majestic, representing the heavenly light and the furnace fire.

The problem lies with the person who controls the Bing Fire element below. It must be either Zhu Xian or Bing Xian; one of them must have sown the seeds of this evil within the Bing Fire element.

The Great Zhao Witchfire has now been initially refined and stored in the inner realm, transforming into a red bear, subtly echoing the Floodfire Beast Diagram and the Great Flame Horn Furnace.

This spiritual fire was the foundation for his comprehension and even cultivation of the [Crimson King's Scripture]. He carefully put it away, and the true fire nature within the entire volcano gradually withered away. A stone platform slowly emerged from the lava pool at the bottom of the mountain, on which a crimson black image surrounded by red light was placed.

This crow has red feathers and golden plumage, three heads covered with scales, and is about three inches tall. It was carved from some kind of spiritual object and possesses a natural charm.

"【Earth-Scorched True Stone】?"

Liu Xiaowen landed on the wind, stepping on the rolling lava. His eyes flickered slightly. He also had some understanding of the various things related to True Fire, and this [Earth Scorching True Stone] was a spiritual object corresponding to the True Fire Venerable position. Its nature was close to the sun, and it was best at absorbing heat.

However, the spiritual object is secondary. This three-headed red crow should be the son of the golden crow corresponding to the position of True Fire Venerable. Although it is only a treasure statue at the Purple Mansion level, its divine charm is very mysterious.

The person who created this statue must have seen the Golden Crow.

Liu Xiaowen had no intention of destroying the statue to retrieve the stone. He also knew about Douyan and knew that the [Jingying] True Person would definitely find it useful. Using it to do favors would maximize its value.

He immediately put the item away, rode the wind, and began to sense the surrounding energy. He vaguely sensed several supernatural powers, which were neither too close nor too far apart, but none of them had any intention of fighting.

'The deeper one goes, the more intense the struggle becomes, inevitably leading to a cataclysmic upheaval.'

Liu Xiaowen silently weighed the pros and cons. What he had obtained was already beyond his expectations. The Sun Artifact alone was enough to serve as a treasure to protect the sect and be passed down through generations.

The sword intent hidden within his life force had been used up, and he had lost another means. With his cultivation level of one supernatural power, wielding two spiritual treasures, and having no Golden Core background, he was practically a child carrying gold through a bustling market.

Now that they are separated from the Azure Origin True Man of Shangxiao, their situation is even more dangerous.

However, what unsettled him most was the band of spiritual lightning in the sky, which extended from the direction of Jianmu, almost clearly indicating that the Dragon Clan had a scheme.

'Don't be greedy. The Purple Mansion is already eyeing me.'

Liu Xiaowen knew how hot the Sun Artifact in his hands was. He had used it repeatedly, which had already made many Purple Mansions aware of his existence. If he went any further in, it would be difficult to hide.

He now plans to continue exploring the surrounding area. If he can enter another pavilion, that would be ideal. If not, he should leave at the appropriate time.

He sensed an impending storm, just like the day Zhang Yu fell. Was there an adult watching from above the white sky?

Having progressed through the Qi Refining stage, he had developed a keen sense of danger. Right now, the Azure Leaf Sky was like a volcano, ready to erupt at any moment, making people's hearts pound.

We need to be more decisive.
-
Purple lightning surged forth, and the mysterious pavilion roared.

As the chaotic energy swept through, a figure in a deep purple dragon robe stepped out, holding a broken cauldron. He knocked away the light in front of him, and with a single touch to the reverse scale, a longsword with dragon patterns and purple lightning appeared in response, flashing away in an instant.

Thin, wispy electric snakes darted about, crackling and exploding, while streaks of gray lightning flowed from the cauldron, instantly knocking the man in the black and red spiked armor off his feet.

With a single sword strike, thunder roared forth, and the Purple Mansion of the mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator before him instantly exploded, his physical body shattered, and the demonic Qi carrying his remains flew away in an instant.

Xu Xuan's gaze was calm. He sheathed his sword, but then heard a cold voice coming from afar.

"Southern Sea Dragon Court. This grudge will be remembered by the [Lifeless Demon Court]."

As the light faded, there was no one else in the treasure pavilion except Xu Xuan. He slowly rubbed his fingertips together, and a dark blue-green aura swirled around him, which was instantly extinguished.

"The Demon Court of No Life?"

He had never heard of this path, but judging from its name alone, it must be related to the [Demon Lord of No Life], and may even be his direct descendant.

Xu Xuan didn't care about having too much debt. He had already offended Chu Hai to death, so what was there to fear from the Demon Court? Anyway, if he couldn't achieve the Golden Core stage, his fate would be the same, so it wouldn't make a difference if he had to deal with the Demon Court.

Inside the mysterious pavilion, the mixed energy dissipated.

Using the sensing ability of the Mind-Body Cauldron, Xu Xuan rode the wind to this place and found the Pavilion of Chaotic Qi Inheritance. However, the gray plaque on the door was blank, as if it had been erased.

After dismissing the outsiders, he turned his attention to the objects within the Xuan Pavilion. It was a pale gray divine stone, about the size of a fist, with wisps of chaotic energy emanating from it, and seemingly some seal characters within it, as if about to solidify.

Below this stone is a bronze altar, from which divine light flows and condenses into various characters, namely, "The Chaos of Heaven and Earth".

Xu Xuan stepped forward, intending to use his magic to take the stone away, but as soon as his magic touched it, it vanished without a trace, leaving nothing but emptiness. He had no choice but to use his physical body to retrieve it.

"?"

As he exerted his strength, the stone didn't even budge, causing Xu Xuan to frown slightly.

too heavy.

The weight of this stone was almost unprecedented for him; he could hardly even budge it with his own body. He immediately activated his blood qi, transforming it into a three-headed, six-armed form, and exerted his strength again, but there was still no movement.

Xu Xuan was somewhat helpless. He tried to summon the Mind-Bearing Cauldron, activated it, and pulled the stone forward. The stone was instantly drawn into the cauldron without any effort.

'Could it be used to strike people? Just its weight alone could crush many cultivators to death.'

He tried to offer the stone, but there was no response.

This thing sank to the bottom of the cauldron, completely still. No matter what kind of magic power, spiritual consciousness, or supernatural ability it touched, it would dissipate like a mud ox entering the sea, and be completely obliterated.

Xu Xuan vaguely sensed that there might be some precious method related to primordial energy in this object, but he was currently helpless and unable to comprehend it.

However, as the stone was placed into the cauldron, the originally broken cauldron showed signs of self-repair, becoming increasingly connected with Xu Xuan, and even faintly exhibiting various mystical phenomena.

If the "Book of Reversal of Occultations" is also placed into the cauldron...

Xu Xuan, quick-witted, immediately came up with an idea. If the repair of the Heart-Gathering Cauldron required the nourishment of primordial energy, then the immortal book in his hand was indeed a primordial energy item related to the Golden Core.

However, being in the grotto-heaven with many eyes and ears around, he naturally wouldn't act rashly, but simply stepped out of this treasure pavilion slowly.

The spiritual lightning in the sky became increasingly dazzling, the white light faded, the armor light dispersed, and the many immortal buildings around the Jianmu tree slowly revealed their true forms, their Daoist charm spreading and shaking the grotto heaven.

A surge of long-hidden supernatural energy arose, causing Xu Xuan's eyes to narrow slightly. Only now did many of the hidden high-level cultivators truly become interested and want to make a move.

A strong wind howled, and the sorcerer chanted incantations. A bluish-gray aura emerged from afar, transforming into the shape of a nine-headed strange bird. As it descended from the sky, Jiu Cang emerged from it.

"Greetings, Your Majesty, but I am late."

She remained expressionless, smiled slightly, and looked over.

"It's not too late, it's not too late."

Xu Xuan spoke casually, but he had other plans in mind.

How did the other party manage to find my trail so quickly? And now that Jiu Cang has appeared, it means that the true core of the cave is about to emerge.

'By dissolving and absorbing the primordial energy, returning to the origin, what she meant by reshaping supernatural powers was simply using this method to eliminate those powers along with their inherent status.'

The purple current swirled, and the dragon's might was subtly revealed, causing the surrounding air to become somewhat stagnant.

Regardless of the specific supernatural power, it is essentially about matching the mystical phenomena with one's life and destiny, aligning with one's position and status, thereby imitating the nature of the attained position and generating profound mysteries. And each time one re-cultivates, even if the supernatural power is scattered, there are still remnants of one's position and status.

If the inner landscape is a flat plain and supernatural powers are pavilions, and cultivators only demolish it without cleaning it up, it will be extremely difficult to build other palaces.

Because of the characteristics of primordial energy, there is a mysterious ability to bring the inner landscape back to nature.

Xu Xuan looked towards the Jianmu tree, his heart stirring. The [Qiheng Xia Lun] he cultivated could not only sweep away the inner landscape, but also record the supernatural powers he had previously cultivated with Xuan Qi, so as to achieve the transformation of Qiheng.

Therefore, within his inner world, there can be pavilions or palaces, simply through the transformations of the extraordinary.

The two rose into the air on the wind, just in time to see the twelve immortal pavilions slowly revealing themselves. Streams of divine light surged around them, while the Jianmu spiritual root emanated an even stronger aura of azure wood.

“Jia is the [Immortal Ladder], Bing is the [Heavenly Pillar], Wu is the [Earthly Principle], Geng is the [Foundation], and Ren is the [Origin]. This is the way that sustains Heaven and Earth, and the origin of the Five Virtues.”

Jiu Cang's eyes gleamed with a strange light as he began to speak to himself.

"The Jianmu tree is indeed a ladder to immortality. Has Your Majesty heard of this?"

Xu Xuan was tempted. Although he was wary of Jiu Cang, this was, after all, a celestial demon, even older than Tian Tuo, whose lineage could be traced back to the Feng Dynasty.

The other party's skill level is astonishing, and he knows a great deal of secrets. Now is the time to question him.

"I have heard of it. I hope the Demon King will elaborate."

Jiu Cang nodded slightly and continued:
"In ancient times, the world was actually constantly expanding and growing, progressing every day. This was the work of Shaoyang."

"The first Shaoyang master was a celestial lord who passed down the Great Dao of Brightness and Leisure. He took the Dao from the Shaoyang position and created the Shaoyang Dao Certificate, which is the Eastern Extreme Profound Bright Gate. It can breathe in and out chaos, interpret yin and yang, and bestow the five virtues, making the world expand day by day. It is truly an unparalleled immortal technique."

"Shaoyang."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan was also deeply moved. Such actions were those of a true immortal, and it was no wonder that the Yin-Yang Daoist lineage was superior to others.

"The vastness of heaven and earth is formed by yin and yang, but the stability of heaven and earth lies in the five virtues. [Geng, Jia, Bing, Ren, Wu] These five paths were used in ancient times to strengthen heaven and earth. At that time, even those who achieved the Golden Elixir could enter the world and act at will without having to avoid divine punishment."

"At that time, the stability of heaven and earth was unimaginable in this world. It is said that the Purple Mansion has infinite power, but in ancient times, it was extremely difficult to move a mountain."

Jiu Cang chuckled lightly, but his gray eyes were extremely indifferent.

"The Jianmu tree of Jia is the [Immortal Ladder]. This was established in the most ancient times, when it should have been called the Heavenly Cycle. Then came the Earthly Cycle, when Emperor Xuan attained enlightenment and passed it down to Gao Xu."

"This great man felled the ladder to immortality and broke the pillar of heaven, causing the world to become unstable and separating humans from immortals. After many great battles, the positions of the Five Rising Stars have changed, and now only Geng and Wu remain intact."

Xu Xuan understood the other party's meaning and said quietly:

"If these five things are completed and each is repaired, then you gentlemen will be able to use your abilities."

"Exactly."

Jiu Cang looked at the remaining spiritual root of the Jianmu tree, lost in thought, while the aura of the Witch God beside him grew even stronger.

(End of this chapter)