Scourge Messenger

Chapter 443 Annihilation War of the Blissful Immortal Lord

In the East China Sea, there is an island called the Paradise Island, located in a secret realm known as the "Palace of Bliss".

Although the Blissful Immortal Palace is only a fourth-level secret realm, it has been a coveted place for nearby Foundation Establishment forces since its birth due to its abundant and continuous output. Until eight hundred years ago, when the Great Immortal Canjin of Tongming Island ascended to immortality and took over the Blissful Island, the Imperial Flowing Court bestowed upon him the title of "Mysterious Blissful Immortal Lord". From then on, the Blissful Island became famous in the East China Sea as the Immortal Lord's Daoist Temple.

After an hour of flight, the crew of the Anlan had gotten used to being carried by the black eagle.

Most of the children retreated to their cabins, but a few daring kids stayed on deck to enjoy the rare aerial views. Unless they have the opportunity to build their foundations later in life, this unexpected encounter will likely be their only flying experience.

As the black eagle broke through the clouds, an island with an ethereal, otherworldly appearance came into view. The houses were neatly arranged in rows, and the entire city expanded outward like concentric circles, resembling countless overlapping "回" characters. The island had two ports, with masts as dense as a forest, and countless ships vying to dock. Even without seeing the details, the sight alone made the children feel the prosperity of the island.

"Look down there, so many tall buildings! What's that saying again, 'Jinglou Yuning'?" Mi Mian exclaimed.

“It’s a magnificent palace,” Shen Qiuqiu said.

“You’re quite cultured, Miss,” Mi Mian retorted sarcastically, pursing her lips.

Fewer than ten children remained on deck, including only three girls: Mi Mian, Shen Qiuqiu, and Bai Zhou. No one dared approach Bai Zhou; she clung to the mast alone, glancing down occasionally before immediately closing her eyes, her body trembling, yet refusing to return to the cabin.

Shen Qiuqiu and Mi Mian had never spoken before, but they quickly became friends during the hour-long flight, exchanging a few words here and there. That's how simple children's friendships are; they stick together when they're in a high-pressure environment.

"What does he want with us here?" Shen Qiuqiu swallowed hard. "I heard some immortals like to eat children, and he just said he was going to offer us up..."

"No, really? We're all geniuses with great physiques, we wouldn't waste our talents like this, would we?" Mi Mian's face turned deathly pale, fear rising in her heart. She tightly hugged Hu Xianfeng's arm: "Besides, I'm not tasty either. If anyone's going to eat, it'll be someone like you from a prestigious family!"

"You're from a respectable family!" Shen Qiuqiu hugged Hu Xianfeng's arm tightly. "With such a heavy accent, if others can't understand you, they'll definitely eat you first!"

"I don't have an accent, my Mandarin is perfect! I'll eat you up!"

"I'll eat you!"

"I'll eat you!"

They argued across Tiger Vanguard, clinging to him tightly as if he were their only lifeline. Tiger Vanguard did nothing, but while everyone else panicked and sobbed quietly, he remained silent and calm on the deck, as conspicuous as a firefly in the night. They didn't necessarily believe Tiger Vanguard could protect them, but at least being with him made these confused and anxious children feel a little safer.

"The Divine Eagle!"

"Master Tianqin is back!"

"That was a...ship?"

The black eagle slowly descended to the port, released its claws, and the Anlan crashed into the sea, leaving everyone on board dizzy and disoriented.

Celestial Bird True Man did not dismount from the black eagle's head. The people in the port only heard one voice: "Send the children on the ship to the secret realm and have Lin Wujiu arrange for them to enter the path to immortality. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" the port manager, who had rushed over, said hurriedly. "What about the others on the ship?"

"Let them go back to Golden Eagle Island."

Suddenly, the black eagle stirred up a whirlwind and soared into the sky. The violent wind drowned out all other noises, and the people on the harbor were blown about as if they were caught in a storm. With a loud, long cry, the black eagle vanished without a trace.

A middle-aged man in a gray robe jumped onto the Anlan, casually stroking his neatly trimmed mustache. "Who's in charge of this ship?"

"I am Xu Hao, the steward of the Anlan ship on Golden Eagle Island." The steward had already wiped the blood off his face and respectfully asked, "May I ask your esteemed name?"

“Ma Tiancheng, but you don’t need to remember. If it weren’t for the instructions of the Celestial Bird Master, the mere manager of Golden Eagle Island wouldn’t be qualified to see me.” The port manager said indifferently, “You don’t need me to teach you what to do, do you? Hurry up and send the person down, then go back. I won’t send anyone up to arrest him.”

"Yes." The steward bowed his head and said, "I will send the children down immediately to carry out the orders of the Celestial Bird Immortal."

"I doubt you would dare disobey."

After the port manager left, the steward called the sailors to lower the anchor and dock, and summoned the children to the deck. The children's terrified gazes seemed to cut the steward's eyes, causing him to instinctively turn his head away, but he quickly turned back, took a deep breath, and said, "You will disembark here and enter the secret realm of the Blissful Immortal Palace. If True Immortal Tianqin does not change his mind, you will participate in the Ascension Path of the Blissful Immortal Palace."

"Elder Xu, you can't leave me here!" Rong Hai, one of the 'Four Heavenly Kings,' rushed over and grabbed the steward's hand: "My uncle is Rong Lu! He's the third disciple of Golden Eagle Master! You can't abandon me!"

"Even if your uncle is the Golden Eagle Immortal, it's useless." The steward slapped Rong Haishan to the ground and said coldly, "And you'd better change this style, or you'll be the first one to die later."

Chen Xunxian's voice trembled: "But Elder Xu, your duty is to lead us to Golden Eagle Island! How can you abandon us?"

"This is the first lesson you will learn. A person must rely on themselves," the steward said. "Anyone but yourself will betray you."

One of the children began to sob softly, and the crying spread like wildfire, filling the deck with a cacophony of wailing. The foreman roared, "Silence! Anyone who dares to cry will be thrown overboard immediately!"

The crying stopped instantly, leaving only occasional sniffling sobs.

“If you want to survive, remember what I’m about to say,” the steward said. “When you reach the Ascension Path, you will most likely have the choice to participate together or individually. You should choose to participate individually; with a one-in-seven survival rate on the Ascension Path, at least four or five of you will survive.”

"If you encounter a path to survival on the road to ascension, immediately retreat. Don't listen to what outsiders say. If they ask you 'Continue forward or leave,' you must immediately say 'leave!'"

"If you're going to participate alone, leave immediately. Repeat this to yourself! Anyone who doesn't, I'll throw them off!"

Under the manager's threats and intimidation, the thirty-three children, their voices trembling with tears, repeated "participate alone" and "leave immediately." From the port came the impatient voice of the port manager: "Golden Eagle Island, how much longer do you want Celestial Bird Master to wait?!"

"Remember my words, ignore others, and don't talk too much!" the manager shouted at them one last time. He looked around the crowd, then turned to Tiger Vanguard in the middle of the group and asked, "Do you understand?"

"Understood," Tiger Vanguard said calmly.

"You go down first, they'll follow you, is that alright?"

"can."

"Go! Follow him, don't get separated!" The children didn't know why the foreman wanted them to follow Tiger Vanguard, but Tiger Vanguard, wearing a tiger-skin hat, was indeed quite conspicuous as a marker, so they followed him without really understanding what was going on. Driven by the guards, they walked one by one along the planks to the port, where they were met by a group of impatient messengers and port officials.

"These kids are going to participate in the Ascension Path? I doubt a single one of them will survive," a messenger chuckled. "I'll go and take a gamble myself."

"I'll bet, I'll bet, if you dare to leave work early I'll break your legs." The port manager glanced at him.

"Just kidding, just kidding. With my meager wealth, how could I possibly be qualified to place bets in the Celestial Palace, unless I also embark on the path to immortality?" the messenger quickly replied.

"Take them onto the dragon carriage and tell True Person Qianji that True Person Tianqin wants to arrange for them to enter the Ascension Path as a backup." The port manager waved his hand and pointed to an extremely large carriage not far away. Pulling the carriage was a one-horned monster weighing more than ten tons. It lay on the blue brick road, its body covered with ferocious scales, and each breath it exhaled was hot.

"dragon!"

Many children screamed and cautiously boarded the dragon carriage. The carriage seemed to be used for freight, easily accommodating the children and a dozen adults, but there were no seats, so everyone had to stand. The driver was just an old man who cracked his whip, and the dragon let out a low moo as it moved forward with heavy steps.

The earth dragon looked enormous, but it moved incredibly fast, like a high-speed dump truck speeding along the blue brick road. The dragon carriage wasn't bumpy at all; the wheels seemed to have rubber-like shock absorbers. Only the two children got carsick and vomited.

The road was clear and unobstructed, and pedestrians walked consciously on both sides of the road. Because of the speed, the children could not see many details of the island. They could only see buildings rushing past, each building was colorful. Pedestrians jostle each other on the streets, and the streets were filled with the aroma of food. The most peculiar thing was that there were shelves on the exterior walls of the buildings. Some urgent messengers jumped directly onto the shelves and went up and down.

A young messenger noticed the children on the dragon carriage. He snapped his fingers to attract everyone's attention, jumped off the frame, ran along the outer wall, and when he reached the edge, he leaped and grabbed the rope of the lantern between the buildings. He swung around several times and sped away, eliciting screams from the children.

The children forgot their fear, clinging to the cart floor and greedily looking around. Even Jiangnan City couldn't match this bustling scene. The messengers here were numerous and of extremely high quality. Second-tier messengers were as common as dogs, third-tier messengers were everywhere, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators would occasionally manifest their inner visions and fly along the way.

As the sun set, the island truly awoke. Before nightfall, warm yellow lights eagerly spread, casting a rosy glow on everyone's faces. Midway through the journey, they encountered a duel between two messengers on the road. The official in charge of the carriage said that the two were masters on the "Human Ranking," and sighed, wishing he could also be on that list.

One of the bolder children asked, "What's the difference between the Human Ranking and the Hidden Dragon Ranking? Will being on the Human Ranking lead to an official position?"

"Don't compare your lousy rankings to our Paradise Island's Heaven, Earth, and Human Rankings." The adult sneered, "The top spot on the Human Ranking directly grants you a Foundation Establishment Pill. As long as you remain on the Human Ranking until the end of the year, you can enter the Paradise Immortal Palace and receive at least one hundred True Spirit Jade tokens! Tsk tsk tsk, every year someone makes a fortune in the Immortal Palace, getting Foundation Establishment Pills, Heavenly and Earthly Fiends, legendary tokens, everything. After the New Year, they transform into one of the top Foundation Establishment True Immortals on the Earth Ranking!"

"If you're lucky, you might have a chance too," the tall, thin man chuckled. "If you can reach the end of the Ascension Path, you can get a Foundation Establishment Pill and directly advance to the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment!"

"You can get the Foundation Establishment Pill on the Path to Immortality!?" Chen Xunxian and the other children's eyes lit up instantly, but before they could ask any more questions, the dragon carriage slowly stopped in front of a magnificent palace.

The long white jade steps were bustling with people, some handsome young men, others elegant ladies with flowing sleeves, their robes billowing in the breeze, carrying with them fragrant scents. They walked alone or in small groups, their laughter and chatter accompanied by the tinkling of jade pendants, like the wind shattering a garden full of exquisite ornaments.

The children were ushered off the carriage and stood amidst the flowing, ethereal beauty, clutching their clothes in shame.

Inside the palace stood a vortex portal, flanked by golden-armored guards, their figures as upright as pine trees. Before the portal, a stunningly beautiful woman checked the guests' tokens, chatting amiably with them.

"True Immortal Flower Butterfly, these children were arranged for us to enter the Path to Immortality by True Immortal Heavenly Bird—"

"You're too slow!" Master Huadie's expression changed instantly. She glanced at the children and scolded, "Why aren't you taking them inside right now?"

"Yes!"

A Foundation Establishment cultivator was responsible for welcoming and seeing off guests at the entrance! Some children who knew the power of Foundation Establishment cultivators were stunned. In the Liang Kingdom, Foundation Establishment cultivators were ancestral figures, and even the emperor had to serve them with caution. Here, they were just welcoming guests?
"Is that the celestial palace inside? If we go in, will we become immortals or fairies?"

"Even if I can't become an immortal, it would be good to be able to establish my foundation!"

"The older girls here are so pretty!"

The many sights and experiences along the way made these children temporarily forget the dangers, their minds only focused on how to become a member of this city. Compared to Paradise Island, Jiangnan City seemed so unsophisticated.

"Little Tiger, did you hear that? You can get Foundation Establishment Pills on the Ascension Path!" Mi Mian exclaimed excitedly, "Your time to shine has come!"

"It's not that simple," Shen Qiuqiu retorted. "It's definitely very dangerous!"

Mi Mian thought for a moment and nodded, then lowered her voice and said, "That's right. We'll step back and wait for the people in front to go first."

“Yes, yes, that’s right, let’s go together.” Shen Qiuqiu nodded repeatedly.

"Who's with you? Aren't you one of the Four Heavenly Kings? Go get your own people. I'll go with Little Tiger."

"No, he's not yours!"

"It's neither mine nor yours!"

"Quiet," Tiger Vanguard said calmly, and the little girls immediately fell silent. He stared at the vortex gate on the screen, his pupils reflecting a description of the secret realm:
"Palace of Bliss"

Background: Extreme bliss arises from extreme sorrow, and extreme sorrow originates from extreme bliss. The joys and sorrows of the world are finite; the greater the joy, the greater the sorrow. Thus, the Sorrowful Daoist established the Blissful Immortal Palace, operating a mysterious gambling game to entertain guests, from which he extracted countless joys and sorrows, causing countless people to be forever condemned and ruined. Just as he was about to achieve his goal and attain the ultimate position in the Dao of Love, he first clashed with Fu Xiang of the Blood Demon Sect, and was later murdered by Xia Yuxue, an elder of the Heavenly Return Sect, resulting in his death and the dissipation of his Dao. However, the Blissful Immortal Palace still exists, and the Sorrowful Daoist can be resurrected from his joys and sorrows…

Challenge Level: 40~49 (Extreme)

「Number of challengers: up to 8 people」

Objective: Kill 'Extreme Sorrowful Taoist'

But this introduction soon changed, revealing another piece of information:
"The Annihilation Battle of the Blissful Immortal Lord"

Background: The Blissful Immortal Lord has established this blessed land. Defeating him will allow you to seize his Gold Attribute, Tokens, and Artistic Conception. However, as a corresponding risk, you will also lose your Gold Attribute, Tokens, and Artistic Conception.

Challenge Level: 0~99

"Number of participants: No limit, but players need to break through the blessed land's blockade on their own."

Objective: Kill 'Mysterious Blissful Immortal Lord'

(End of this chapter)