This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

The capture of the dead in the mortal realm is progressing extremely rapidly, thanks to the efforts of Maoshan and Longhushan.

In less than a month, the major sects of Dongzhou had basically cleared away the souls of the dead in the mortal realm.

Thanks to the efforts of the Buddhist community, Xizhou was restored in just about two months.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye. The souls of the dead have basically been sent to Maoshan. Now, Zhong Bai's task is to send them all back to the underworld.

Standing inside the Nine Heavens Longevity Palace, Zhong Bai opened the passage to the underworld in front of all the primordial spirit masters of Maoshan. The moment the passage opened, the chilling aura from the underworld immediately emanated out.

These things didn't affect Zhong Bai and the others; at this moment, Zhong Bai was extremely formal.

Wearing a purple-gold crown and a robe with the yin-yang symbol, he holds an official seal in his right hand and a whisk in his left.

Concentrate and remain calm; your presence commands respect without anger.

"I am Cao, an inspector of the mortal realm, and I have come with the soldiers and generals of the underworld to escort the departed souls!"

As soon as Zhong Bai gave the order, countless Yin soldiers and generals gathered in front of the Ghost Gate in the passage of the underworld. At the same time, Zhong Bai took out a magical artifact that sealed the souls of the dead. The artifact flew out with a flick of his finger and disappeared into the passage. When it landed in front of the Ghost Gate, it opened with a bang, and countless souls fell out instantly. The Yin soldiers and generals who had been waiting for a long time then took them away in order.

The process was undoubtedly lengthy. The number of Yin soldiers and generals in the underworld was limited, but the sheer number of souls was overwhelming. It took three whole days to escort all the souls from the mortal realm back to the underworld.

After everything was over, Zhong Bai immediately closed the passage.

At that moment, an unseen opportunity struck Zhong Bai. In an instant, a golden light from heaven and earth struck Zhong Bai's head, and all the primordial spirit masters who witnessed this scene exclaimed in surprise.

"Good luck!"

"Without any merit from the Heavenly Dao, yet bearing such a Heavenly Heart Imprint, achieving the primordial spirit is not difficult!"

As Master Jinghong finished speaking, Zhong Bai's entire aura changed. He began to comprehend, and all the Daoist techniques he had cultivated since the beginning of his life automatically evolved in his mind. Then, the laws he comprehended after reaching the Nascent Soul stage deepened little by little, and his understanding of heaven and earth also accelerated...

At this moment, Zhong Bai didn't even need to use the Demon Exorcism Points to accelerate the process; the spiritual energy in the sky naturally enveloped the Nine Heavens Longevity Palace.

Heaven's justice is impartial; it is not an exaggeration for Zhong Bai to leave a mark of Heaven's will after sweeping away the souls of the dead in the mortal world.

In an instant, as Zhong Bai's understanding of heaven and earth deepened, the vast spiritual energy also caused changes within his body. In his dantian, true essence flowed endlessly like a mighty river. His nascent soul was a spirit that had transformed into a spirit, and now, it was a primordial spirit!

If one is in the Nascent Soul stage and no physical body remains, then a new physical body needs to be attached to it. However, in the Deity Transformation stage, even without a physical body, the Nascent Soul will not perish, but it still cannot get rid of the need for a physical body. Without a physical body, even a Deity Transformation cultivator cannot continue to advance towards the Great Dao.

However, the primordial spirit is different. It can restore its physical body in the blink of an eye. Even without a physical body, the primordial spirit can cultivate on its own. The difference between the two is as great as an insurmountable chasm.

Inside the main hall, the group of primordial spirit masters watched with great interest. Since they had all reached this level, they could naturally see that Zhong Bai's attainment of the primordial spirit realm was a sure thing. Of course, for Maoshan now, it was no longer very important, since the passage between the two realms had already been opened.

However, since Zhong Bai was breaking through in the Nine Heavens Longevity Palace, these patriarchs couldn't leave, so they simply sat cross-legged to protect Zhong Bai.

Zhong Bai's divine nascent soul is undergoing a transformation. Reaching the nascent soul realm requires a long process, generally taking at least half a year.

This is a conservative estimate; it took the Sword Saint of Shu Mountain a full two years to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm.

The primordial spirit masters in the main hall had all broken through in more than a year.

However, when Zhong Bai exited the state of comprehension and felt that his understanding of the laws of heaven and earth was so profound that he could directly achieve the Nascent Soul Realm, Zhong Bai did not hesitate to use Demon Extermination Points to accelerate the process.

......................................................

Time flies by.

Three months passed, and in the Nine Heavens Longevity Palace, Zhong Bai was still sitting cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed. Golden light flashed around his body, and his aura became as deep and boundless as the sea, until the moment he opened his eyes!
The primordial spirit within the body condenses, undergoing an ultimate sublimation at this moment, boom!
Just as if shackles had been broken, a dharma image that blotted out the sky was released from Zhong Bai's body. This was not a supernatural power brought by the Shangqing Dragon Elephant Technique, but a complete primordial spirit dharma image.

The primordial spirit Dharma image, tens of thousands of feet tall, lay high in the void. Countless disciples of Maoshan looked up at it at this moment. They could feel the aura of the primordial spirit. Although they did not know which one of Maoshan had broken through to the primordial spirit realm, all the disciples stopped to pay their respects.

There was a slight difference between Zhong Bai's Dharma Image and that of Tian Ning Shangren, who was at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. The Dharma Image that Zhong Bai condensed was clearly defined around it, with lightning and fire spreading continuously on it. However, the Dharma Image was obviously not as lifelike as Tian Ning Shangren and the others.

But no matter what, he has finally reached the Nascent Soul Realm and can be called a great being!
Zhong Bai opened his eyes, and his sharp aura slowly returned, while his Dharma form dissipated.

Opening his eyes and looking around, Zhong Bai saw that the primordial spirit masters were protecting him, and he bowed his head in gratitude.

"Haha, no need to thank me. I didn't expect you to reach the Nascent Soul Realm so quickly. You truly deserve the favor of the Four Ancestors!"

Master Jinghong was also quite moved, considering that Zhong Bai had only been in Maoshan for a few years.
He has been in this world for less than ten years, yet he has already progressed from the Nascent Soul Realm to the current Primordial Spirit Realm. No one can match his cultivation speed, not to mention that his supernatural abilities are also unmatched by others.

"Jingzu is too kind. Zhong Bai was just lucky. He doesn't deserve such praise."

Humility is necessary. Zhong Bai did not become arrogant because he had stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm. Sometimes, before entering the Nascent Soul Realm, he felt that he had only just reached the peak. But now that he had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, Zhong Bai felt that the Loose Immortals were far away. Looking at the Underworld, all the great powers seemed to float in the sky.

After his breakthrough, Zhong Bai did not linger in the Nine Heavens Palace of Blessings. Now that all the dead souls in the world had been wiped out and he had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, there were some things he needed to arrange.

Dongfuzhong.

Zhong Bai, Zhao Ling'er, and Mo Ling were all somewhat serious; they were discussing their future plans.

"Mo'er, Ling'er, the Fourth Ancestor will be coming to Maoshan in a few days to open up a passage to the Earthly Immortal Realm. At that time, most of the Primordial Spirit Ancestors in Maoshan will leave. I wonder what your plans are?"

Holding Zhong Ling in her arms, Zhao Ling'er said gently, as always, "Husband, Ling'er will follow your arrangements."

Mo Ling nodded after a moment's thought.

"My husband has made a decision. This world is already difficult for you to advance any further, but there is still room for me and Ling'er."

However, one gets tired of staying in one place for too long. The Immortal Realm is a much wider world, but it also comes with dangers and opportunities. Ling'er and I are already yours, my husband, so we have nothing to fear!

Zhong Bai seemed to be deep in thought.

Perhaps the matter of going to the Earthly Immortal Realm can be postponed for a while. He has just stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm. With the demon-slaying points earned from killing and sending souls to the underworld, Zhongbai is confident that he can push his realm forward within a few years. At the same time, he also has a chance to reach the sixth level of the Shangqing Dragon Elephant Technique. At that time, his physical body will be comparable to that of the Nascent Soul Realm. When he arrives in the Earthly Immortal Realm, he will have more tricks up his sleeve.

"Let's not worry about the future for now. We'll deal with the future when it comes. For now, let's enjoy the present!"

After Zhong Bai finished speaking, he picked up Mo Ling, who was standing to the side. Zhao Ling'er didn't feel shy or envious at the sight, after all, last night...

Seeing the two leave, Zhong Ling couldn't help but roll her eyes. She had said she could return to the Immortal Realm, and this was it?
However, she is still young, so even if she returned to the Earthly Immortal Realm, it wouldn't be of much use. Besides, she has nothing to do and is not in a hurry to restore her original nature, so she can stay in the Heavenly Court.

.........................................................

After the extermination of the dead souls in the mortal realm was completed, about half a year later, the underworld was in good order.

At the same time, the Fourth Patriarch did not forget his promise.

Maoshan Patriarch Hall.

It enshrines the Three Pure Ones, the Four Emperors, the Five Elders of the Five Directions, and also a group of patriarchs of Maoshan.

A little below the Three Mao Patriarchs is the memorial tablet of the Fourth Patriarch.

Logically speaking, the underworld should not directly interfere in the affairs of the mortal world. However, some things can be done by taking a roundabout approach. For example, right now, as the tablets of the four ancestors shook wildly, a vast aura shot out from the tablets, and in the Nine Heavens Longevity Palace, one after another, the primordial spirit ancestors instantly awoke.

They transformed into streaks of light and arrived at the Ancestral Hall.

There was a click.

As the memorial tablet cracked open, the phantom of the Fourth Patriarch emerged from it. His arrival was not in the name of the Ten Kings of Hell, but rather as the Fourth Patriarch of Maoshan.

"We pay our respects to the Fourth Ancestor, may you enjoy eternal bliss and boundless peace!"

The Fourth Patriarch waved his hand, indicating to the assembled Primordial Spirit Ancestors that they need not stand on ceremony.

"I have come to open a passage."

With just one sentence, he made his intentions clear, and everyone actually knew the truth in their hearts.

Without further ado, the Fourth Patriarch arrived at the Ascension Platform of Maoshan. The Ascension Platform used to connect to the Earthly Immortal Realm, but with the closure of the passage between the two realms, it had long been forgotten.

Without any fancy moves, a sword gradually appeared in the Fourth Patriarch's hand. As the sword was thrust out, it seemed to pierce through the void and reach the Immortal Realm. A faint light gradually spread through the void.

Until the entire passage was opened...

A continuous stream of spiritual energy from heaven and earth shot out from the passage. Compared to the Earthly Immortal Realm, the spiritual energy of this world was simply unbearable.

However, none of these things were important. As the passage was opened, the Four Ancestors began to cast incantations. Runes fell on the passage, stabilizing it. At the same time, the influx of spiritual energy from heaven and earth became scarce, since the passage would easily become unstable if spiritual energy from heaven and earth kept eroding it. After doing all this, the Four Ancestors completed their mission.

He turned to look at the group of patriarchs of Maoshan.

"This passage leads directly to the Maoshan sect in the Earthly Immortal Realm. Once you arrive in the Earthly Immortal Realm, it is up to you how you are arranged. You can either join the sect to cultivate or choose to undergo the tribulation and then go to the Heavenly Court to be under the command of the three patriarchs."

The following sentence was addressed to the two wandering immortals.

Everyone understands this principle.

"We will respectfully obey the Dharma decree of the Fourth Patriarch!"

"I understand. The affairs of the underworld are busy, and I cannot stay for too long, so I will take my leave now."

After saying this, the Fourth Patriarch prepared to leave.

"We respectfully bid farewell to the Fourth Patriarch!"

After the group of primordial spirit masters respectfully saw the Fourth Patriarch off, they gathered together to discuss the matter.

These primordial spirit masters cannot all leave at the moment; some must remain to oversee this world.

Of course, there's no need to be too many. After all, once the passage between the two realms is opened, whoever dares to offend Maoshan, even if the patriarch in charge cannot capture or kill them, can still seek help through the passage, and the sect in the Earthly Immortal Realm can send disciples down to the mortal realm.

You could say they're incredibly arrogant!

At the same time, this passage to the Immortal Realm is not unique to Maoshan. The Fourth Patriarch did not open the same passage at Longhu Mountain, which means that Longhu Mountain and Maoshan share this passage.

And there are also the Taoist, demon, and Buddhist sects of the world...

Who wouldn't want to go to the Immortal Realm?
Of course, this is just a saying. If the Fourth Patriarch could open a passage in Maoshan, then it is understandable that the demon race and the Buddhist sect could also mobilize their resources to open a passage in their own territory.

Zhong Bai, enjoying the cozy atmosphere of his cave, was unaware of these things, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared. He had already decided to stay in this world for a few more years.

Boom boom boom!
A series of loud bell tolls rang out, and Zhong Bai received a telepathic message from Master Tianning in his cave.

Some things can only be decided after everyone sits down and discusses them together.

Yuanfu Wanning Palace.

When Zhong Bai arrived, all the elders of Maoshan were already seated in a row.

Each elder exuded the aura of the Nascent Soul Realm. These were all the elders of Maoshan who had reached or exceeded the Nascent Soul Realm, totaling over a hundred.

Furthermore, at the head of the table, Ancestor Jinghong and Ancestor Changhong stood on the front side, with a group of Primordial Spirit Ancestors behind them.

After Zhong Bai arrived, Master Jinghong pointed to the side of himself, where there was an empty seat, clearly reserved for Zhong Bai.

Zhong Bai didn't stand on ceremony and transformed into a seat.

Time passed slowly, and soon a group of primordial spirit masters from Longhu Mountain arrived, including some elders at the Nascent Soul stage. Yuanfu Wanning Palace was unusually lively.

Zhong Bai even saw a familiar figure: his brother-in-law, Mo Chen.

The two were very close. Mo Chen looked at Zhong Bai with some distress, realizing that he had spent thousands of years to reach the Nascent Soul Realm.

And his brother-in-law has only been in this position for a few years?

I felt a mix of emotions.

"Brother-in-law, I'm heading to the Immortal Realm this time. I don't know when you'll arrive, but I'll be leaving my sister in your care."

Zhong Bai felt a little embarrassed by these words of entrustment, but he could still clearly sense his brother-in-law's dejection in his tone.

And then, thinking back to the phoenix incident...

"Brother, there's no need to rush things. Mo'er and I plan to go to the Immortal Realm in a few years. After you go ahead, remember to take care of yourself."

No matter what, we are family. Let's proceed slowly and not act impulsively, lest we hurt Mo'er.

Hearing this, Mo Chen understood what Zhong Bai meant, and sighed slightly, which was considered an agreement.

Soon after the palace gates of Yuanfu Wanning Palace closed, the once bustling hall became quiet.

Master Jinghong looked at the hermit master of Longhu Mountain, and the two looked at each other, both understanding the meaning behind it.

"Fellow Daoist Jinghong, you shall announce it!"

Actually, it had all been discussed privately long ago; today's gathering was just a formality. (End of Chapter)