Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 160, Chapter 177: Disinfecting Lips and Teeth, the End of Dharma is Grim, Dynasties are Coveting (Bonus Chapter 2728 for Monthly Tickets)

"I'm sorry, Senior Uncle."

Zhao Wuji took a deep breath and leaned closer to Yan Lan's shoulder.

Finding a good angle to bite, he used a hand seal to perform a food ingestion technique, turning poison into nourishment.

A jade-like luster immediately appeared on her lips.

He lightly touched the wound with his lips.

"Um"

Yan Lan, who was unconscious, suddenly let out a soft groan.

Her long neck tilted back slightly, her collarbone forming a breathtaking arc.

Zhao Wuji could immediately feel a stinging pain on the tip of his tongue, clearly indicating that the Sindhu poison still had some effect.

He immediately activated his ingestion technique to quickly refine it.

The fiery toxins quickly transformed into a wisp of cool spiritual energy that flowed into the dantian through the meridians, merging with the blood-fiend spiritual energy to enhance the cultivation of the Martial Immortal Path.

"The second one."

Zhao Wuji moved his gaze to the scar on his collarbone above his heart, where the poisonous markings resisted even more fiercely this time.

"Uh"

Yan Lan unconsciously twisted her waist, causing the blood-stained gold-threaded bodice to loosen its ties.

Zhao Wuji had no choice but to press down on his smooth shoulder with one hand, increasing the force of his suction.

The toxins gathered at his lips as if drawn by a magnet, and were quickly refined and transformed into nourishment.

Hua Qingshuang suddenly coughed lightly, a hint of unease flashing in her eyes: "Be careful."

"rest assured."

Zhao Wuji slightly raised his head, his forehead also covered in sweat.

The ingestion technique creates a vortex of blue light, rapidly refining the toxins.

Yan Lan's toes suddenly curled up, her nails scratching several white marks on the couch. Her honey-colored skin flushed red, and her chest heaved violently with her rapid breathing.

Zhao Wuji could feel her muscles tensing and relaxing at times, as if she were enduring some kind of indescribable torment.

"the last point."

Zhao Wuji placed his thumb on Yan Lan's waist and his other hand on her ear, suddenly noticing that her breathing rhythm had changed.

Yan Lan suddenly opened her eyes.

As their eyes met, she saw that the young man's blood-stained lips were only inches away from her chest.

The excruciating pain that had plagued her body for so long was subsiding.

Her beautiful eyes widened instantly, flashing with crimson light: "You..."

"Uncle-Master, I'm inhaling for you." Zhao Wuji looked up, about to explain.

"Get out of the way!" Sparks flew from Yan Lan's palm, but she suddenly withdrew her force when she touched Zhao Wuji's chest.

Zhao Wuji was thrown off the bed by a wave of scorching heat.

Yan Lan propped herself up and sat up, pulling her tattered robe over her chest. Her ears were so red they almost bled. Embarrassed and annoyed, she said, "You...you removed the poison from my master's body, and he was very satisfied, but he can't accept this method."

"A doctor's heart is benevolent." Zhao Wuji got up from the ground and said solemnly, "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic says, 'Where the poison is, it must be treated.'"

"Alright!" Yan Lan snapped, "Stop with the flowery language, get out!"

"Senior sister!"

Hua Qingshuang's white silk ribbon caught Yan Lan's swaying body just in time.

Seeing that Yan Lan, who was usually so unrestrained, had even her neck turned pink, and that she was biting her lower lip with a somewhat helpless look, she was completely different from her usual seductive demeanor.

Even her usually aloof and beautiful face couldn't help but chuckle.

"Ahem, Senior Uncle, Peak Master, I'll go out first."

Zhao Wuji stood up, quickly bowed, and left the room. "Peak Master, remember to consume and refine this Snow Spirit Mushroom; your injuries will heal considerably."

You can faintly hear two people talking inside.

"Senior sister, he's saving you. You used to be much more proactive when he gave you acupuncture."

"Of course I know, but acupuncture is acupuncture, it's not physical contact. His mouth almost touched me just now, should I have you do it instead?"

"I'm not poisoned."

Their subsequent words turned into a barely audible whisper.

Zhao Wuji couldn't help but find it amusing.

Suddenly, I realized that this senior uncle, who was usually so charming and alluring, also had such an interesting side.

"Really." Zhao Wuji shook his head and chuckled, summarizing his past life in four words: "Both terrible and lovable."

Soon, the injuries of the two peak masters were completely stabilized, although it would still take some time for them to fully recover due to Zhao Wuji's deliberate concealment of his strength.

However, as long as he continues to receive acupuncture treatments in conjunction with medical procedures, he can recover completely within half a month.

Even now, Yan Lan and Hua Qingshuang's complexions have improved significantly, and the disordered spiritual energy within their bodies has gradually returned to stability.

Inside the cave, Yan Lan, dressed in a plain white robe, leaned lazily against a soft couch, playing with a strand of hair with her fingertips, while her gaze occasionally drifted toward Zhao Wuji, who was tidying up the golden needles.

Feigning composure, he said, "Little Wuji, your medical skills have improved considerably compared to before. You can even neutralize a poison curse at the peak of the Concentration Realm. Your master has truly struck gold."

She paused, then smiled as if nothing had happened, "My senior uncle's attitude was a little off just now, please don't take it to heart."

"Uncle-Master, you're joking. You were injured because of me, how could I hold it against you?"

Zhao Wuji didn't even raise his head, but a slight smile appeared on his lips: "However, this medical practice is nothing more than the 'using poison to fight poison' method recorded in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic."

"Tsk, here we go again. Don't bring up your medical books!"

Yan Lan's ears turned slightly red again. Recalling her embarrassing state during the previous treatment, she couldn't help but glare at him.

Hua Qingshuang, standing to the side, gently touched the frost residue left on the snow lingzhi in the medicine box and said protectively, "If you find him too noisy, you might as well have someone else perform acupuncture on you in the future."

"That's not necessary!"

Yan Lan immediately sat up straight and snorted, "...Since he is already familiar with the flow of my meridians, replacing him would only cause trouble."

Hua Qingshuang raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile flashing in her eyes, but she didn't reveal it.

After their injuries stabilized, the two left to work on stabilizing the situation in the cave and preventing unrest among the people.

Within the grotto, 99% of the cultivators had already been afflicted by the Mind-Bewitching Curse.

Over the years, their loyalty to the cave has become ingrained in their very bones.

Normally, he doesn't show any signs of anything unusual.

However, once the cave is disturbed, the power of this spell will suddenly erupt!
Those elders and deacons who were usually calm and collected have been restless these past few days, and some have even been secretly questioning whether the cave master can turn the tide.

but!

As long as they demonstrate the means to quell the chaos, they can instantly regain the fervent support of the masses, who will swear to be loyal to them to the death!

In the following days, Zhao Wuji, as the master of Xuanji Peak, had to mobilize the sect's grand formation, operate the Earth Vein Spirit Pivot Diagram to stabilize the spiritual veins, and also appease the restless swarm of spirit-eating insects.

On the other hand, he also had to go to the Hall of Spirits to take charge of the overall situation and calm people's hearts.

So busy that they didn't even have time to change their residence, they could only stay temporarily in the side hall of Cold Moon Peak.

The dragon vein broke, and the spiritual veins of the grotto-heaven were disturbed.

The spiritual energy within the Linglang Cave Heaven is like a raging sea, sometimes surging and sometimes drying up like a desert, extremely unstable.

Fortunately, thanks to the remnant map of the Earth Vein Spirit Pivot and the power of the array, coupled with the spirit-eating insect swarms gnawing at the spirit vein stone day and night, the rate at which the spirit vein petrifies and depletes was barely slowed down.

Otherwise, if we sit idly by and do nothing, within ten years, the Linglang Cave Heaven will surely collapse and be completely destroyed due to the depletion of its spiritual veins!

At that time, all the cultivators of Linglang will be forced to wander outside and struggle to survive in the spiritually depleted world of Dharma decline.

Let alone improving one's cultivation level, it would be a blessing if one could just keep one's realm from falling!

Three days later, inside the cave on Cold Moon Peak.

The spiritual energy in the surrounding air flickered like a candle, surging like the tide half an hour ago, and then drying up like a desert half an hour later.

Such a turbulent spiritual environment requires even the disciples of the mountain sect to be extremely cautious when cultivating.

If you are not careful, your Qi will be disrupted, which may result in damage to your meridians or even demonic possession!

Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged in the cultivation room, his brows furrowed, his spiritual energy flowing around him, yet he was still disturbed by the disorder of the spiritual energy outside.

"Although the mountain gate's spiritual veins have barely slowed down the decline, without the nourishment of the dragon veins, it will ultimately be difficult to truly stabilize..."

He sighed inwardly.

This strange phenomenon of fluctuating spiritual energy is a sign of the spiritual veins' struggle against the end times.

The petrification and depletion of the spiritual veins was like a raging torrent, unstoppable. He used formations and fragmented diagrams to forcibly slow down its progress, much like building a dam to stop a raging flood.

While it could temporarily alleviate the disaster, it also made the spiritual veins increasingly unstable.

As a result, the cultivation environment is naturally extremely harsh.

Zhao Wuji raised his sleeve to observe the space within the pot-shaped space.

However, although the crystal soil within the Pot Heaven Space still shone with silver light, the tiny spiritual veins at the edges had begun to dim.

The thin and unstable spiritual energy in the outside world disrupted the external circulation, and also suppressed the internal circulation of the Pot Heaven space.

As a result, the efficiency of the cultivated spirit-eating insects in absorbing and expelling spiritual liquid has been greatly reduced, the growth of spiritual plants has almost stopped, and even the speed at which the crystal soil absorbs external spiritual energy has become as slow as a tortoise crawling.

"That's all."

With a thought, Zhao Wuji sent out a battle flag from his sleeve.

A "spirit-sealing restriction" was set up at the entrance to the Pot Heaven, completely severing the connection between the space and the outside world.

In an instant, the spiritual energy within the pot-shaped space became self-contained. Although it lost external replenishment, it was no longer affected by the erosion of the Dharma-ending Age environment.

"It can hold on for at least a while... things will get better later."

Zhao Wuji scanned the storage bag with his mind.

The resources obtained within the secret realm are almost exhausted.

Six ancient spirit stones, a bottle of level four spirit marrow liquid, more than ninety jars of golden goblets of wine, two golden hibiscus plants, and more than fifty source crystals.
This is his most valuable resource now.

Zhao Wuji shook his head and smiled, took out a jar of golden wine, broke the seal, and drank it down in one gulp.

The wine entered his throat, transforming into wisps of spiritual energy that flowed into his meridians, barely enough to sustain him for half a day of arduous cultivation.

"Now we even have to be careful with our alcohol consumption..."

He turned his gaze to the blood pool within the Pot Heaven space, where the blood patterns on the carapaces of the seven or eight hundred spirit-eating insects had faded to wisps of smoke.

These little guys need to eat source crystal residue every day to maintain their life.

“Cultivating spirit insects was originally a long-term plan, but now it has become a burden.”

Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth, took out two source crystals from his storage bag, and threw them into the blood pool.

The spirit-eating insects surged wildly, and the blood-red markings on their carapace briefly regained their luster.

However, this amount of resources is far from sufficient. To maintain one's own cultivation and the consumption of the Pot Heaven, at least two source crystals need to be consumed every day.

"call!"

Zhao Wuji exhaled a long breath, and the idea of ​​temporarily abandoning the cultivation of the Pot Heaven Space briefly crossed his mind before he quickly dismissed it.

The Pot Heaven Space has been cultivated and developed to this point with great difficulty. Although it is painful to see that more investment is needed, it cannot be wasted.

If it continues to develop, it will surely bring rewards in the future, and may be one of the hopes for avoiding the end times.

“Cultivating oneself in the Dharma-ending Age is like rowing against the current.”

"The rapid progress I made in the secret realm in the past is now a distant dream."

Zhao Wuji stood up, lost in thought. Outside the window, withered leaves were swept up by the gale, their rustling sound like mocking whispers. His eyes flashed as he thought of the danger he sensed deep within the fourth-level spiritual vein in the secret realm.

"Moreover, that secret realm is not simple either. It seems to be rich in resources, but it also seems to be a carefully designed trap. It's like fishing?"
In this degenerate age, the existence of such a special secret realm seems rather abnormal.

He suppressed his desires, and with a thought, the images of several Xuanjia puppets appeared in his mind.

Just yesterday, Gong Yu, one of the three puppets, took the initiative to contact him.

He made a hand seal to cast the Dream Marriage Technique, and a spiritual light flowed between his brows.

As his consciousness sank, his spirit, like a fish swimming through the chaotic mist, followed the spiritual connection with Gong Yu as a bridge, and entered a hazy dream.

In the dream, gray mist surged, and Gong Yu's figure knelt on the ground.

"My lord."

Gong Yu's voice transmission was like a candle flickering in the wind, intermittent and broken: "The dynasty has sensed an anomaly in the Xuan Kingdom's dragon vein through the Dragon Cauldron. An envoy will be dispatched soon to investigate."

Before he could finish speaking, he groaned as he violated the prohibition.

The dreamscape suddenly distorted, revealing several blurry figures.

The leader was dressed in a python robe, with a jade pendant engraved with the words "Xuanming" hanging from his waist, followed by more than ten cultivators with powerful auras.

"Hmm? An envoy from the mysterious dynasty is coming soon? Xuanming... could that be the name of this dynasty?"

Before Zhao Wuji could see clearly, the dream suddenly collapsed, bringing him back to reality.

He frowned slightly, then made a hand seal to cast the Dream Marriage Technique to check the condition of the other two Xuanjia puppets.

But they saw their third senior sister cultivating in a room full of spiritual energy, where she was drawing array patterns.

Xiao Liu stood near an empty square, surrounded by a crowd of people, all of whom seemed to be ordinary people, their presence heavy with the mixed feelings of the crowd.

In the center of the square, several powerful cultivators seemed to be talking about something.

He did not wish to further tamper with the restrictions placed on the two puppets.

After observing for a moment, I exited the dream.

These three puppets were his spies planted in that mysterious dynasty, so that he could familiarize himself with this mysterious force in the future.

There's plenty of time; we can observe it gradually.

"A delegation from a mysterious dynasty will be coming to Xuan Kingdom to investigate. How should I inform the Peak Master?"

After pondering for a while, Zhao Wuji left the cave before the morning dew had dried and headed to the main peak of Linlang for a follow-up examination.

As I pushed open the door, I saw Yan Lan already sitting at the desk.

A long, crimson dress completely covered her body, with even the neckline adorned with tightly sealed Chinese knot buttons.

Seeing him lost in thought, she coughed lightly: "What are you looking at? Aren't we supposed to be doing acupuncture at the 'Tianchi' point today?"

Recalling the time he had sucked out the poison for him, Zhao Wuji suppressed a laugh and cupped his hands in greeting: "Uncle-Master is rather... solemn today."

"Stop being so glib!" Yan Lan slammed her hand on the table. "After the acupuncture, we need to discuss serious matters."

Hua Qingshuang stood by the window, a faint smile playing on her lips.

With Zhao Wuji, the medical genius, by their side, their injuries healed much faster than expected.

However, the situation within the cave was rapidly deteriorating due to the rupture of the dragon vein and the disturbance of the spiritual vein.

Moreover, the impact of the broken dragon vein is no longer as simple as affecting the spiritual veins of the grotto heaven.

Natural disasters and calamities have begun to occur in various parts of the Xuan Kingdom, clearly due to the loss of the dragon vein's suppression, leading to frequent calamities.

The news of Emperor Zhang Zhaoming's death has not yet been announced, and the current administration of Xuan Kingdom is being managed by the Grand Preceptor Fang Shiyu.

Hua Qingshuang watched as Zhao Wuji applied acupuncture to Yan Lan, and pondered, "Now that the dragon vein has broken into five pieces, the disturbance of the spiritual vein has affected the foundation of the cave heaven."

The urgent task requires a two-step approach.

Firstly, to stabilize the political situation of the Xuan Kingdom.

Secondly, it reconnects the dragon veins and maintains the vitality of the spiritual veins.

Zhao Wuji nodded, thinking of the mysterious dynasty's envoy group of cultivators, and said, "With Zhang Zhaoming dead, the court is without a leader, and the dragons are without a head. If this is left unchecked, chaos will surely ensue."

I propose... that we allow Consort Li Shiyu to temporarily assume the throne?

Before she could finish speaking, Hua Qingshuang's gaze suddenly sharpened, and she glanced at her indifferently: "Li Shiyu? You and she... seem to have had some collaboration before?"

"Indeed, Cave Master is wise."

Zhao Wuji remained expressionless and said solemnly, "Although Junior Sister Li comes from the inner palace, she has been secretly trained by Zhang Zhaoming and is knowledgeable in government affairs."

Moreover, she had no connection with Zhang Sichen's lineage; on the contrary, she hated Zhang Zhaoming in the past and wanted to break free from his control.

This woman is also adept at social maneuvering and has some connections and prestige in the court. She is the most suitable person to appease the officials and stabilize the government.

Yan Lan, who was leaning against the couch, suddenly chuckled: "Little Wuji, what you said sounds high-sounding... but I think it's feasible."

Anyway, the royal family has been manipulated by Zhang Sichen as puppets all these years. It's better to replace them with an obedient 'swallow' than to have another madman."

Hua Qingshuang was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly: "If that's the case, then so be it. But she only needs to act as regent in name only; specific state affairs will still be discussed by the Six Ministries, with the Grand Preceptor assisting her."

This is how the Xuan Kingdom has operated for years.

"nature."

Zhao Wuji breathed a sigh of relief, then patted his storage bag and took out the Earth Vein Spirit Pivot Diagram. "As for the dragon veins... I have already deduced the prototype of the 'Eight Directions Dragon Chasing Formation'."

It is necessary to use the broken dragon vein as a base and borrow the residual power of the earth vein to construct the array's core.

This matter requires my personal attention.

"Too dangerous!" Hua Qingshuang frowned and shook her head, taking out an item from her storage bag.

"This item was found in a secret room in Zhong Kui's bedchamber."

(End of this chapter)