I made the entire cultivation world cry

Chapter 445 The Primordial Secret Realm (Part 2 Combined)

Before officially entering the Dao Stele Space, the Kunlun Secret Realm gave Jiang Yi and Luo Qingsi three days to rest and prepare.

The stage was filled with a vibrant atmosphere, brimming with spiritual energy, which allowed Jiang Yi to heal Luo Qingsi without regard for the cost.

Although Hongli was unwilling, under Huagu's angry glare and hands on hips, she still grumbled and helped Luo Qingsi repair her severely damaged natal sword, Tingshang Sui, while Zhenshan and Duanjin also helped.

The appearance of the Dao Stele caused a stir throughout the Central Continent, and the news quickly spread to various parts of the Eastern Continent. Curious cultivators flocked to the Kunwu Mountains in the Central Continent.

Even those Northern Xuan cultivators who were hiding everywhere, upon hearing of Jiang Heying's name, were shocked and secretly rushed to Zhongzhou.

Lobby of Donglai Inn, Qingshi City.

Liu Taozhi sat at the square table by the window, her face no longer showing any sign of defeat. She was holding a teacup and watching Shen Puning and Zhao Cangyun discuss the Kunlun Dao Stele with great interest.

Xin Wushuang listened quietly, her golden-feathered eagle standing upright on the windowsill, scanning the street outside.

Shang Shixu ate plate after plate of spiritual fruits and tea snacks. Besides eating them himself, he also fed the pearl that kept nudging him and the jade snake that was wrapped around his arm.

This inn, which had been booked by Liu Taozhi, had now become a stronghold for the Beixuan Cangling Sect and the Xuanying Sword Sect.

The True Lord Huiyuan and True Lord Longri of the Cangling Sect, along with two Nascent Soul Sword Lords from the Xuanying Sword Sect who had only arrived a few days prior, were enjoying tea and chatting in a private room on the second floor.

The two Golden Core stage disciples and some elite disciples who had not yet formed their cores all gathered in the main hall to watch the video broadcast by the innkeeper using an array.

Chu Qianji, Li Hanshan, Su Chanyi, and Cang Qingyue sat at the opposite table, while Xu Manxiu, along with several other Golden Core sword cultivators from the Xuan Ying Sword Sect, occupied the other table next to them.

"Senior Sister and Senior Sister Qing Si are really too strong!"

The sword cultivators of Xuan Ying Sword Sect were all very excited.

"Our senior sister was already famous in Beixuan during the Foundation Establishment stage, and now she has set a new record on the Heavenly Ranking during the mid-Golden Core stage. She is already writing a legend!"

Even the usually composed Xu Manxiu could not hide his shock and pride at this moment.

“That’s right!” Shen Puning excitedly put one foot on the stool. “Ayi really stood up for herself! Who says we in Beixuan have no one? Who says we’ve lost our backbone just because we’ve been exiled here!”

"Yes! Senior Sister and Senior Sister Qing Si have made us proud!"

Everyone raised their glasses in unison. Even the most serious Xin Wushuang was moved and stood up to raise her glass with everyone. A warm current and an unprecedented sense of belonging surged through everyone's chest.

Having lived a life of wandering for too long, the feeling of being looked down upon, ostracized, and suppressed was like a fishbone stuck in their throat. But those two names on this list gave them all the confidence to stand up straight.

"Hmph! Senior Sister, Senior Sister, she's no longer the Senior Sister of your Xuan Ying Sword Sect."

Zhao Cangyun curled his lip in an impatient expression, and the puppet arm, which he could not yet control perfectly, accidentally crushed the teacup again.

Shen Puning chuckled, Shang Shixu shook his head with a low laugh, and even Xin Wushuang couldn't help but smile, thinking Zhao Cangyun was really childish.

Liu Taozhi couldn't help but chuckle and smoothed things over, saying, "Junior Brother Zhao, Senior Sister represents all of us right now; she is the pride of the entire Northern Xuan. The fact that she is respected by the Golden Core disciples of the Lingxu Sword Sect and recognized by all of us proves that she has leadership qualities and is worthy of the title 'Senior Sister.'"

"That's true!"

Zhao Cangyun felt honored and his anger subsided slightly.

"Senior Sister Liu, what do you think the space inside that stele will be like? Will there really be ancient divine beasts there?"

Shen Puning asked curiously, leading the conversation to the ancient divine beasts, and Chu Qianji and the others also joined in.

Three days isn't a long time, and no one wanted to leave the inn's lobby, so they just sat there chatting.

The same was true in other parts of the Kunwu Mountains. Ever since the Kunlun White Jade Pagoda and the Dao Stele appeared, everyone preferred to sit on the ground rather than look away from the summit of Kunwu.

Even just watching the two people sitting quietly and adjusting their breathing on the platform makes me feel excited and amused.

Inside the main hall of the Qingwei Sword Sect, the three Refining Void Star Lords were also there, staying close by. Even if others couldn't sit still, they had to be present to accompany them.

The appearance of the Dao Stele interrupted their discussion, and Jiang Yunye and the other three were a little anxious, fearing that the plan to have the Northern Xuan cultivators settle in the Central Plains would fall through.

After all, none of the three Refining Void Star Lords seemed willing to take the lead, yet the Qian Tian Sect kept insisting they were willing to accept them.

On this day, a white jade pillar of light rose from the center of the long-silent Daoist platform, indicating that the path to the Daoist Stele space had been opened.

Throughout the entire Central Plains, all arguments and disputes ceased at this moment, and everyone's attention was focused on the two figures on the performance platform.

On the preaching platform.

Before entering the teleportation pillar, Jiang Yi first recalled all the demon spirits, and sheathed the two swords, Zhaoming and Yaoling, on his back.

She examined Luo Qingsi's body again and confirmed that Luo Qingsi had basically recovered and would be fine as long as she did not use her source power.

However, Luo Qingsi's natal sword has a serious problem, and Hong Li cannot repair it in just three days. It requires Luo Qingsi to nurture it for a long time.

During this period, it would be best for her to make fewer moves, but Jiang Yi did not want to win directly. The upcoming competition would definitely attract a lot of attention, and she had important things to do.

"Qingsi, keep this."

Jiang Yi secretly handed the Heart-Piercing Mirror to Luo Qingsi. As soon as Luo Qingsi saw the mirror, her eyes widened, and she took three steps back as if facing a formidable enemy.

Luo Qingsi cultivated with Hua Gu on Yunmiao Peak for ten years, and she was bullied by the Heart-Slaying Mirror quite a bit.

It was fine when Zhu Xin Jian scolded her; she was childish and didn't understand much of what he said anyway. But Zhu Xin Jian kept making her look bad, and since she couldn't hurt Zhu Xin Jian, she got scared after it happened so many times.

Jiang Yi transmitted her voice to Luo Qingsi, "I've already told Zhu Xin that he won't scold you. If he does, just tell me later and I'll help you get revenge."

“I don’t know what’s going on inside the Dao Stele space. We might be separated, since we’re competitors. But no matter what, I hope you can hold on as long as possible. Zhu Xin can help you.”

"Why? If I lose, then Senior Sister will win, right?" Luo Qingsi was a little confused.

Jiang Yi hung the Heart-Piercing Mirror on Luo Qingsi's waist.

"Didn't I say before that I need your help? The longer you hold on, the more Hua Gu Hong Li and the others can utilize their strengths in the Dao Stele Space. Opportunities to witness ancient divine beasts are rare, and the more they train inside, the better for everyone."

Luo Qingsi nodded, still a little confused. "I understand, Senior Sister. If I can't win, I'll run away and hide."

Jiang Yi then placed another of the Traceless Eye Worms that Shang Shixu had given her on Luo Qingsi. Actually, she wasn't sure if the worm would still be effective after going inside, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Let's go in together."

The two walked into the pillar of light together, their bodies enveloped in soft white light, and a slight pulling sensation from the laws of space came through them.

Jiang Yi felt as if she had fallen into a kaleidoscope of light, the scene before her eyes blurring and spinning. She subconsciously reached out to grab Luo Qingsi, who was so close to her, but her fingertips only brushed against nothingness.

"Clear thoughts!"

Before he finished speaking, the teleportation force vanished abruptly, and the feeling of being grounded returned.

The scene before her was completely different. Jiang Yi found herself alone, standing in a dense forest whose ancient and primitive nature was indescribable.

The world before me is so vast it's suffocating.

As far as the eye can see, there are only towering trees.

The trunks of those ancient trees are as thick as the base of mountains, and their dark brown bark is covered with thick moss and vines. Their roots are so large that they seem to be slumbering giant pythons, arching out of the ground, winding and intertwining, forming insurmountable barriers on the damp ground.

The huge fern leaves are as broad as a roof, dark green to almost black, and the thick vines twine and weave among the towering tree canopies, forming a giant net that blocks out most of the sunlight.

Only scattered beams of light struggled to pierce through the layers of giant leaves, casting huge, swaying spots of light on the ground.

"Is this an illusion, or a real, hidden realm?"

Jiang Yi couldn't help but touch the edge of a huge, drooping fern leaf beside her. The touch was cold and tough, incredibly real.

Jiang Yi took a deep breath, and the dense, almost viscous spiritual energy surged into his lungs, instantly cleansing his limbs and bones. The spiritual energy was full of primal and unrestrained vitality, which could not be simulated by ordinary illusion arrays.

At that moment, a fist-sized, blood-red mosquito flew past her quickly. Its clearly defined body structure and a dangerous aura comparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator made Jiang Yi's hair stand on end.

She could sense that the fragments of laws flowing through this world were becoming clearer, yet also more chaotic and disordered.

Everything was so realistic, it was terrifying.

Just as Jiang Yi was in a state of shock, the layer of decaying leaves beneath her feet suddenly burst open, and several slippery, cold black vines pierced her ankles as if they were alive.

Behind him, the Zhaoming Sword rang out, and Gengjin bamboo leaves fell from the sky, spinning wildly and cutting around Jiang Yi. Amidst the sounds of clashing metal and sparks from cutting through metal, the vines were severed and repelled.

Jiang Yi immediately composed herself and became fully alert. Regardless of whether it was real or not, the danger here was real.

She felt as small as an ant in this vast, desolate forest, as if she were walking on thin ice.

Moreover, she couldn't sense the presence of the Traceless Eye Worm attached to Luo Qingsi at all, so she could only watch as Zhu Xin was attacked.

The rules of this competition have already formed in my mind: within seven days, traverse this treacherous and unpredictable ancient forest and find the foundation of the ancient array hidden somewhere.

The one who activates the grand formation first will be the ultimate victor in the battle for the Dao Stele!
If no one activates the grand formation within seven days, the Dao Stele will fall silent again, awaiting its next activation.

Jiang Yi released all the demon spirits in one go.

Zhaoming Yaoling led the way, Zhenshan Duanjin guarded the side, Huagu Hongli provided mobile support, and even Xiaoxian Teng forced its way out of the sword-nurturing gourd and wrapped itself around Jiang Yi's wrist to participate in this exploration of the ancient secret realm.

With the impressive lineup ready, Jiang Yi waved his hand dismissively.

"set off!"

*
At that time, in the main hall of the Qingwei Sword Sect, the huge light screen split in two, clearly reflecting the different scenes faced by Jiang Yi and Luo Qingsi.

"It truly possesses the grandeur of antiquity!"

Below, a Nascent Soul cultivator with white hair and beard, who appeared to be a man of great knowledge, spoke in a trembling voice, pointing to a patch of strange moss that flashed past the edge of the light screen, emitting a faint blue light.

"Earth Treasury Blue Jade Moss! According to ancient records, this moss grows in places where spiritual veins converge, and it takes five thousand years to mature. Its juice has the effect of corroding bones, and it is also a sacred ingredient for refining high-level barrier-breaking pills and bone-cleansing pills. It has been extinct for tens of thousands of years!"

"Look, everyone, at the vines twining around the roots of that giant tree!"

Another Nascent Soul cultivator stood up excitedly and pointed to a vine above Jiang Yi that was wrapped around a giant tree and had dark golden veins on its leaves.

"Dragon Blood Golden Vine! Legend has it that it was bathed in the blood of an ancient dragon. Its resilience and the essence of dragon breath it contains make it an unparalleled ingredient for refining top-tier acquired spiritual treasures and elixirs that allow one to break through bottlenecks! And it's everywhere here?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present took a heavier breath, their eyes fixed intently on everything on the light screen, and they all unconsciously swallowed.

Yuan Shu Xingjun's gaze was fixed on a crimson mushroom hidden in the shadow of a giant fern leaf.

"Could that be the Fiery Hell Emperor Herb? Ancient texts say that consuming this herb can temper the fire element body and has miraculous effects on fire element cultivators who are breaking through bottlenecks."

Dao Yuan Xingjun's face also flushed red, and he murmured, "If all of this is not an illusion..."

The three Refining Void Star Lords exchanged glances, all seeing the undisguised excitement in each other's eyes. These rare and precious materials, long extinct in the outside world, were now densely distributed in this ancient secret realm like weeds.

They were still rational enough not to rush over to check immediately.

Others might not know, but the three of them were very clear that the combined Dao Lords of their three sects were all cultivating in seclusion in the Kunlun Secret Realm. If these things were real, it wouldn't be their turn to investigate and collect them.

Furthermore, the previous explanation about the Dao Stele mentioned that the ancient divine beasts in the Dao Stele space were illusions, so everything they were seeing at this moment was very likely also an illusion.

Thinking of this, the three Refinement Star Lords calmed down considerably.

In the city of Qing Shi.

The onlookers were also utterly shocked.

"My God, did you guys see that mosquito just now? It was a blood-red mosquito the size of a fist. Were things from ancient times all this big?"

When Shang Shixu saw the fist-sized blood mosquito at the Donglai Inn, he felt no fear; instead, his eyes flashed with an unprecedented light.

He stood up uncontrollably, his eyes scanning back and forth in the light screen, searching for other lurking, ancient insects he had never seen before.

Within Shang Shixu's dantian, the long-dormant Wuxiang Gu trembled violently, conveying a strong desire and urge to devour.

The other demon tamers, following Jiang Yi and Luo Qingsi's perspective, saw the ancient beast hidden in the shadows, and all of them breathed heavily and their eyes shone.

"My God! Just how many humanoid demon spirits does Jiang Heying have?"

The cultivators from Zhongzhou were all stunned when they saw Jiang Yi release four transformed demon spirits and two swords in one go.

"Her lineup is too luxurious! Is there no limit to the number of demon spirits that a Northern Xuan Demon Master can control?"

"I can't take it anymore, I want to become a demon slayer now!"

Amidst these clamoring voices, the cultivators from the Northern Xuan Sect tried to explain that it wasn't that demon tamers had no limit to their ability to control demon spirits, but rather that Jiang Heying was no ordinary person.

Ordinary Golden Core cultivators can only command three demon spirits, no more.

However, seeing the envy, jealousy, and hatred of those uninformed low-level cultivators, the Northern Xuan Demon Tamers felt a strange sense of satisfaction and decided to explain later.

"Wait! Jiang Heying's demon spirit can merge with her? And it can be used as a weapon?"

A series of gasps erupted from the crowd in Qing Shi City Square.

In the light screen, Jiang Heying encountered a ferocious beast in the dense forest and fought against it in a demon-controlling method never before seen by cultivators of the Eastern Continent.

Upon seeing this, the demon tamers of Beixuan all raised their chins, crossed their arms, and chuckled inwardly.

You country bumpkin who's never seen the world!
　I worked overtime today and wrote over 4,000 words. Updates might be inconsistent for the next two days, but I will definitely write whenever I have time. If there are no updates, well, there's nothing I can do about it.
　　I'll be heading back on Sunday. Please allow me to rest again on Monday, and I'll start updating more on Tuesday to make up for lost time!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)