Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 649 Ghost Sheep
In Tianji Mountain, a month has passed.

Wisps of blue-yellow light emanated from the crimson palace, dispersing the evil energy from the earth. The great formation activated, and lightning crackled, isolating the outside world from all disturbances.

Within the hall, demonic energy emanated from the cracks in the blue bricks, manifesting as various strange phenomena, eventually accumulating around the blue jade futon in the center of the hall, upon which sat a young man in black robes.

The man's eyes were tightly closed, and he was as still as a rock. The shadow behind him was constantly struggling and surging, occasionally transforming into the shape of a swarm of locusts and sheep spirits. However, his sea of ​​consciousness was empty, and his true spirit had disappeared.

At the very top of the main hall stood a Taoist priest in a silver robe, surrounded by moonlight, suppressing his aura to the lowest possible level so as not to affect the perception from the other side.

"According to that secret method, we have reached the final step."

Xu Xuan's gaze was deep. No matter what, the separation of the true spirit from the body is a major taboo for cultivators. If one is not careful, one will lose one's life. Unless it is a lineage that specializes in manipulating the soul, such as Daiqi and Wenyou.

"If any problems arise, just pull him into the cave."

When Tian Tuo spoke, he seemed extremely confident.

"True Lord of the Desolate End, you have quite the methods. You even found the corpse of the former lord. All these years have passed and the position of the Earthly Fruit is still stable. There is no sign of the Nether Sheep reviving. It seems that it is dead beyond dead."

With a celestial demon watching from the side, Xu Xuan felt much calmer. If there were any problems, Tian Tuo's knowledge would allow him to detect them early.

"Taiyou is from the same generation as Taicang, and it is probably the title used by Xuan Tong."

He thought of the ancient Kunpeng, a great sage who had progressed from the Golden Core stage to the Nascent Soul stage, successively rotating between Yin and Yang, and achieving an extraordinary Great Dao.

Any celestial beast born with a high natural rank can, with the right opportunity, break through to the Nascent Soul stage, at which point it will undoubtedly become a Great Sage, such as Jianwu and Zhenlong in ancient times.

Tian Tuo's tone grew somber, tinged with a hint of emotion.

"This ghost sheep has lived for an extremely long time, but its location is too poor. If someone were to protect it, it might be possible to try to advance further."

When he mentioned the Ghost Sheep, he was reminded of his own fate. Although he often spoke of the prosperity and majesty of Donghua in the past, when he finally took over the lineage, there was not even a single True Lord left.

This is also the fundamental reason for his demise in his previous life; no one was willing to pay the price to protect him.

"Fengxuan Palace is the ancient immortal path of the Earth Era, and is the orthodox Xuanqi. Although Nanhua has no title of immortal lord, it already has the substance of an immortal lord, so it is naturally easy to enlighten Kunpeng."

Upon hearing Tian Tuo mention Feng Xuan, Xu Xuan became interested and leisurely said:
"If that's the case, why doesn't this Youyang worship a great master to seek the Great Dao? There were far more immortals and celestial lords in ancient times than there are today. Perhaps there is one who is willing to guide him."

Tian Tuo chuckled, seemingly disdainful.

“Feng Xuan’s cultivation of the Great Dao of Harmony is the orthodox way of harmonizing Yin and Yang. Kunpeng’s worship is perfectly justified.”

"The concept of 'Yutu' (蕴土) is an internal matter of the Earth element. Wu, Ji, and Gen (艮) have all had many important figures in ancient times, but few of them have shown respect for the concept of 'Yutu.' Since none of the five Earth elements have spoken up, how dare other figures overstep their bounds?"

"How could I be so disliked?"

Xu Xuan looked down at the surging earth-gathering radiance and never imagined that this path had such a poor situation in ancient times.

"In ancient times, the earth was also known as the 'path of transformation and breeding.' The Bai Qiang tribe regarded the earth as an insatiable sheep god. When it was hungry, it would turn into a sandy desert and barren land; when it was satiated, it would turn into fertile soil and rotten mud. But in the end, it was still going to devour everything in the world."

“E represents the central earth, which dislikes the presence of earth as an auspicious omen for the four seasons, indicating that ministers may harbor rebellious intentions to seize the throne; Gen represents the extreme of mountains, which is often affected by earth and collapses, unable to reach any place; Ji likes to record forms and is also the god of valleys, instructing and correcting all trees, but unfortunately, the presence of earth nearby breeds evil and leads the trees astray.”

"As for the last layer of earth, it is burial earth, which emphasizes that one should be buried in the earth for peace. However, the earth that is buried is also the source of spirits and monsters. If a corpse enters the earth, it will turn into a demon, which is even more inappropriate."

Tian Tuo explained clearly in one breath the likes and dislikes among these different lineages. It was very clear that the Tu De lineage was extremely unpopular with this one, not to mention the other lineages.

"It seems that this path is not only generally unpopular, but even its so-called auspicious aspect is highly questionable."

Xu Xuan looked down at the young man whose true spirit had vanished, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

“Exactly. Look at the likes of Rang An and Ji Huo. Do they have any integrity or righteousness? Aren’t their actions just like those of the demonic path? The so-called fertile land of Qingli is actually a breeding ground for evil and corruption, which will eventually swallow people up.”

Tian Tuo laughed strangely:
"Therefore, the root of this tradition is evil, only it is dressed in a cloak of goodness. It is just like people raising livestock to be slaughtered. That is the principle."

The changes in Ren water and Yuan wood are fundamentally different. The changes in Yun earth actually all point to one place and have a deep-seated malevolence.

"In that case, the deeds of that evil earth bodhisattva are quite in line with this principle. He was first a green sheep immortal cultivator, and later became a great demon evil release, swallowing countless lives."

At this moment, a malevolent aura gradually rose from below, and the black-clad youth's body began to radiate light, as if it had connected with a mysterious place.

As the clear energy circulated, the seal script within his sea of ​​consciousness subtly changed, radiating a mysterious light.
-
Void.

The sky and the ground were shrouded in thick darkness, with only a few specks of bluish-yellow light flickering ahead. From these, countless bronze chains extended out, driven into the darkness and pulled taut.

"You ask about the ghostly corpse."

The young man in black robes stood quietly, his figure ethereal, reflecting the shadow of the Green Locust Grave Sheep. His aura was faintly echoing the distant radiance, as if calling him forward.

This place is the [Netherworld], a secret place opened up by the Desolate Lord. The method used is not the method of constructing a cave heaven, but rather the way of building caves and abysses more like that of demons.

In other words, this place contains an extremely pure spirit, and only his true spirit can come here.

He proceeded slowly according to the instructions in the secret method, heading towards the shimmering light. In the darkness beside him, he seemed to hear the howling of demons, while the light drew closer and closer, gradually revealing its true form.

A towering, majestic cauldron.

This bronze cauldron is cast in one piece and engraved with various mysterious patterns. In the center is an extremely mysterious blue ram standing on a mountain, with the scenery of the four seasons appearing around it.

The carvings on the tripod seem to be in constant flux, sometimes depicting a desolate world teeming with demons, and other times a peaceful and prosperous world with favorable weather, a mixture of celestial and demonic scenes.

The Great Wilderness Cauldron

Xu Fayan gazed quietly at the treasure left behind by the ancient True Lord, unsure whether it was real or fake. Perhaps it was merely a mark, or perhaps it was a true magical artifact.

Countless bronze chains were nailed into the cauldron, and a faint blue-yellow light could be seen bursting forth from within, which shook his mind and made him want to go inside.

But he quickly stopped the impulse and looked at the area of ​​light, where he could vaguely see scriptures moving with his own destiny.

"[Yu Xuan Divine Book]."

Xu Fayan caught a glimpse of the name of the scripture and was immediately struck by it. He began to memorize it carefully. With the blessing of the seal script, it was no longer difficult for him to remember everything he saw.

Even when faced with such complex ancient scriptures, he could memorize them quickly and without any mistakes.

This scripture records the cultivation method of the "Youyang Sacrifice," which is the core supernatural power of the Earthly Path. It is full of mysteries and is at the sixth rank, possessing both physical and spiritual aspects.

The scriptures recorded in this cauldron are the core inheritance of the ancient Qingyang. The complexity lies not only in the cultivation of supernatural powers, but also in the changes of the ancient Yuantu Dao, which can already be called a book.

"There was no verification of identity." Xu Fayan was somewhat surprised that this secret technique could still be performed normally today, even with only requirements related to fate.

He originally wanted to try to glimpse the cultivation methods of the other supernatural powers, but every time he looked, they were all blurry, except for the one corresponding to the grave sheep, which was clearly visible.

The radiant light of the earth flowed around him. Xu Fayan dared not delay. He carefully memorized the scripture, checked it several times, and only felt at ease after confirming that there were no problems.

Now that he has this [Mysterious Divine Book], he is no longer completely clueless about cultivating the Earth Essence. Previously, he had no Daoist scriptures and no one to guide him, so he could only try on his own and took many detours.

If it weren't for his exceptional talent, his progress to the Foundation Establishment stage would have been much slower. Even so, his cultivation speed has already surpassed that of many direct descendants of the Purple Mansion.

'Only one more [Wilderness of the World] is needed to complete the first four divine abilities.'

A thought struck him, and he saw the large cauldron in front of him begin to vibrate, the radiance of the earth within it churning and changing, and a faint evil aura emanating from it.

A monster with long limbs and a head like a ram slowly crawled out from the side of the cauldron. It exuded a malevolent aura, its yellow eyes were eerie, and it stared straight down. Its body was also nailed with a lot of bronze chains.

Xu Fayan was even more shocked, thinking that the ancient demon king had been resurrected. However, the monster's face gradually took on a human-like expression, looking at him with a hint of coldness.

"The bloodline of Wei Qingyi."

His voice, divided into three parts, rang out simultaneously, like a demon, a high monk, and a celestial being, stirring up waves of evil energy that swept down towards Xu Fayan's location.

'not good! '

Xu Fayan's heart sank. He activated a secret technique, intending to retrieve the true spirit, but the entire secret place was shrouded in thick darkness, and he could not find his way back for a while.

The malevolent aura pressed down, but it found nothing; the black-clad youth had vanished.

Who made the move?

The spirit on the cauldron roared, seemingly in anger, and a rolling blue-yellow light swept across the surrounding world, but ultimately found nothing unusual and had to give up and return to the cauldron.

Another location, inside the Heavenly Punishment Hall.

Xu Xuan stopped sensing the inscriptions. Just now, when he saw that Fa Yan's condition was abnormal, he immediately activated the Dao Stele to sense the inscriptions and pulled his disciple's true spirit back.

The black-clad youth sitting below suddenly opened his eyes, his yellow pupils shining brightly. There was even an aura on his body that Xu Xuan felt was familiar, mixed with the release of demons, and carrying a hint of causal calculation.

Xu Fayan had just come to her senses and was still somewhat frightened. When she saw her master, she immediately told him everything she had seen.

'Badlands'

Xu Xuan had been on guard against the other party, but he did not expect to actually alarm this Bodhisattva. If it weren't for the seal script protecting his mind, he might have been in real danger.

"This disciple has obtained the [Mysterious Divine Book], which is a method for cultivating supernatural powers. You may copy it down."

Xu Fayan, who was sitting down, recovered slightly. He picked up paper and pen, intending to copy the text, but the words he wrote all vanished into nothingness. Even if he wanted to speak the scripture, he could not succeed.

"It seems that the methods left behind by the Qingyang lineage are only willing to be passed on to specific people."

Xu Xuan did not force him, but had other thoughts on the matter.

'The secret method given by Rang'an is not problematic, but it doesn't mention the bad soil. Is it because this person is unaware of it, or...'

He didn't think this True Person would cooperate with Evil Earth; it was more likely that Qingwu Dao himself was unaware of this matter, or that Evil Earth had already seen him activating this secret technique.

In other words, this sect probably had a long-standing collusion with Hua Shi, and that Ji Huo Zhenren might be the mastermind, while Rang An was more of a tool he used to balance the Great Li.

Xu Xuan looked down and saw a pair of ghostly yellow eyes. The inscription seemed to have completely merged into the other's life, causing some kind of change.

The aura of that green locust seemed to be stimulated and completely integrated. Under the observation of [Extermination], its aura increased again.

Xu Fayan, who was standing to the side, was also interested, but he did not understand the changes in the seal script for the time being. He could only slowly comprehend them. In the end, it was a good thing, since this was the only thing he relied on for cultivation.

"Now that the lineage has been established, we can prepare for matters concerning supernatural powers."

Xu Xuan's mind calmed down a bit. Now he no longer needed to worry about any supernatural powers. Xing Fang still needed to accumulate momentum, and the cultivation techniques and spiritual items were all prepared.

'Things will be less stressful after that.'

Having another Purple Mansion helper is quite important to him. Now Liu Xiaowen has taken on a lot of trivial matters, allowing Xu Xuan to concentrate on cultivation.

'It's just this spiritual energy'

Thinking of this, Xu Xuan felt a headache coming on. The surrounding counties were already struggling to support the two supernatural beings, and that was only because he and Liu Xiaowen were cultivating separately.

If the two of them were to go into seclusion and absorb spiritual energy, the spiritual energy of the entire Crimson Cloud would be depleted within a year.

"You should return to the peak first and study the cultivation technique carefully. Once the pills arrive, you can prepare to raise your immortal foundation and achieve supernatural powers in one go."

Xu Xuan softened his tone and settled the matter.

"Yes."

Xu Fayan, who was seated below, took his leave and left the hall, heading straight for his own peak. The scroll of the [Mysterious Divine Book] he had obtained was quite complex and required a considerable amount of time to comprehend, so he naturally could not afford to delay.

At this moment, Xu Xuan was alone in the main hall again. He paced slowly, lost in thought.

"It seems that the Qingyang legacy is still firmly in the hands of the Evil Land, and even that magic weapon is very likely to be related to it."

Xu Xuan was puzzled and immediately asked:
"Often, when a lineage perishes, it is because the grotto-heavens have fallen and the magical treasures have been lost. The Qingyang lineage has left behind a secret method that directly points to a magical treasure. Why hasn't anyone gone to retrieve it?"

These things have already happened in Kunwei and Tianye. As long as the cave heaven falls, the magic treasure will inevitably be seized by someone. However, the cave heaven of the Qingyang lineage seems to have been destroyed long ago, and several True Monarchs have also perished. Yet, this cauldron has been left behind, which is really strange.

"Perhaps, that cauldron was indeed used to suppress the Nether Corpse. Once it is moved, the former Nether Corpse will show signs of revival."

Tian Tuo spoke in a low, somber voice:
“Those are true demons. There is no great being in the world to guard the Earth Virtue now. Who will subdue them? Back then, Tianye also paid the price of a True Monarch and even depleted the foundation of an immortal.”

"Even the fact that the barren land doesn't seek gold could very well be due to this reason; the matter of Tianyu Panzhang is still fresh in our minds!"

Xu Xuan's thoughts gradually changed. If that's the case, even without the interference of other Earth Virtues, the Earth-Nourishing Fruit itself probably has many pitfalls.

As he was thinking about this, a surge of powerful Gui water energy arose from the direction of Luo Qing, bringing wind and rain, and a light drizzle began to fall.

"Breakthrough!"

(End of this chapter)