Immortals of the End Times

The eighteen peaks of the Immortal Saint Sect were teeming with people.

Especially on the white jade square in front of the Immortal Saint Peak, robes of various colors spread out like clouds.

Ancestors and elders from various immortal sects across the Nine Provinces gathered here, and auspicious cloud spirit boats filled half the sky.

"Fellow Daoist Xinghe, it has been sixty years since we last met. Your demeanor is even more impressive than before!"

A purple-robed Nascent Soul True Monarch from the Tianshan Sword Sect approached, stroking his beard and laughing.

"Elder He, you are too kind. I heard that another spiritual vein in your sect has been promoted to the fifth level? That must be a sign of abundant resources."

Xinghe Daoren stood on clouds, his body surrounded by starlight, and raised his hands in a gesture of respect.

Not far away, seven or eight Golden Core cultivators were bowing to each other. Suddenly, a red-haired cultivator exclaimed, "Look! It's the sword boat of the Qilin Sword Sect!"

Everyone looked up in unison, and saw a giant sword, hundreds of feet long, piercing through the clouds. Three figures stood against the wind at the hilt of the sword, their robes fluttering like immortals descending to earth.

The swordsman standing on the left with his hands behind his back had a Dao pattern shining brightly between his brows; he was none other than the Sword Lord Wentian.

The Daoist aura between his brows was none other than the Dao of Asking Heaven Sword that he had comprehended sixty years ago in the pseudo-Nine Heavens.

At this moment, as the Daoist aura flowed, it caused the swords within a ten-mile radius to tremble and resonate.

The old man on the right with his red beard flying wildly was none other than the Qilin Sword Ancestor.

However, compared to the radiant Daoist aura emanating from the Heavenly Sword Lord's brow, the old man's brows concealed a wisp of gloom.

That was the frustration of a thousand years of arduous cultivation yet failing to break through the threshold of the Divine Transformation realm, and the melancholy of being haunted by inner demons and struggling to understand the Great Dao, ultimately leading to his being destined to never reach the Divine Transformation realm.

The last figure was Kong Jingxian, the newly appointed sect leader of the Qilin Sword Sect. The three of them intertwined their sword energy, like three unsheathed divine weapons, which stung the eyes of the onlookers, causing them to scatter.

"Wentian, let's have a chat at the Immortal Saint Palace!"

At this moment, Cang Yunzi's voice pierced through the sea of ​​clouds and landed precisely in the ears of Wentian Sword Lord.

"The sect leader arrived so quickly."

Amidst the bustling scene of thousands of cultivators making a pilgrimage, deep within the seventh-level spiritual vein of the Immortal Saint Sect, Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged on the Spirit Eye Spring Platform.

His eyes were half-closed, three flowers gathered on the top of his head, and five vital energies converged in his chest.

As his divine sense swept over the grand spectacle outside, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Half a month ago, the strange phenomena he caused when he was close to breaking through had already shaken the Central Plains.

First, the purple energy gushing from the spiritual veins transformed into a ten-thousand-foot-long sword aura, followed by the guiding starlight cascading down like a waterfall.

Such earth-shattering signs naturally could not be hidden from the powerful figures of all sides.

With Zhao Wuji's approval, the Immortal Saint Sect opened its gates wide, which led to its current grandeur.

It should be known that in the cultivation world, it is common for cultivators to cause extraordinary phenomena when they break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

However, most sects in the past would choose to close their doors and stay away from the world.

After all, if enemies take advantage of such a critical moment, at best one will fail to break through to the next realm, and at worst one will die and perish.

But now, with the protection of the demon tree clone and the presence of Cang Yunzi, a Nascent Soul Dao Lord, in the Immortal Saint Sect, Zhao Wuji is even more impregnable.

On the contrary, it led to this groundbreaking celebration.
Deep within the seventh-level spiritual vein of Immortal Saint Peak, Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged like a bell, his spiritual energy transforming into tangible purple clouds.

“Cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul stage still need to absorb the sun and moon to hone their magical power before they can break through to a higher realm.”

His eyes shone with Daoist wisdom, and his mind was as clear as a mirror.

"But a fully formed Nascent Soul is different."

Under his inner vision, he saw a solemn and majestic three-inch nascent soul within his dantian, with seven divine wheels revolving endlessly like the Big Dipper in the sky.

Each divine ring is entwined with unique mysteries. Among the seven mysteries, the central one, which resembles a sword but is not a sword, is the most dazzling. Like a celestial blade hanging high, it bursts forth with a chilling Daoist charm that cuts through all laws.

"My magical power has reached its peak."

Zhao Wuji's mind stirred slightly, and his nascent soul suddenly opened its eyes.

In an instant, the spiritual energy gushing from the fifth-level spiritual vein within the Pot Heaven space was momentarily halted.

The magical power contained within this tiny nascent soul was as vast and boundless as an abyss, reaching the true pinnacle of this realm.

The oppressive aura emanating from his every move caused subtle ripples to spread through the surrounding void.

"After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, all that's missing to reach the Deity Transformation stage is a Dao Seal!"

He gazed at the profound meaning of the Dao, a smile appearing on his lips.

His Daoist techniques had already reached maturity long before his magical power was fully developed.

Afterwards, it went through many great battles such as the Nine Netherworlds' Heavenly Dao Pit on the Ancestral Demon, the Huaihai Demon Extermination, and the Fishing Cauldron to Suppress Evil. Not only does it contain many principles and insights as its foundation, but it has also begun to form the power of the rules of 'Dao'.

It is even more solid than the Jianmu Dao Seal refined by the demon tree's clone.

"The true meaning of intercepting the Dao has become a fundamental rule of the Great Dao. Since that's the case..."

Zhao Wuji loosely clenched his fists, and the golden light of the intercepting path flowed between his fingers.

The seven divine wheels between his brows suddenly accelerated, condensing into a dazzling star ring above the nascent soul's head.

With each rotation, the magical power within the body becomes one degree purer.

This is not an accumulation of quantity, but a qualitative transformation.

"When my Nascent Soul is complete, I will make some preparations to consolidate it, and then I can directly break through to the Deity Transformation stage."

His blood-red, double pupils suddenly shone brightly, and the image of a god-level being appeared in his mind.

Once the Dao body is formed, it will naturally absorb and exhale the spiritual energy of the eight directions.

When he breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, he will use the power of the Intercepting Dao to condense the Dao Seal, cleave through the shackles, and surely, success will come naturally!

Without further hesitation, Zhao Wuji's mind raced, and the seven divine wheels between his nascent soul's brows suddenly erupted with dazzling divine light.

Then, like a seven-star constellation, it rapidly rotated, bursting forth with earth-shattering spiritual energy fluctuations, attracting spiritual energy from all directions to quickly converge into a spiritual energy tide.

"Crack!!"

Accompanied by a faint, almost imperceptible cracking sound.

The seven divine wheels shattered simultaneously, transforming into countless Dao patterns that flowed into the sword-like but not quite sword-like Dao mark between their brows, like rivers flowing into the sea.

at once.

His nascent soul emitted a dazzling spiritual light, and his body was covered with Dao patterns, which caused the primordial spirit in his sea of ​​consciousness to also change.

The divine halo that originally surrounded the primordial spirit crumbled inch by inch.

It actually condensed into a semi-real, semi-illusory Dao seal prototype in the void, exuding a mysterious and unpredictable aura.

"combine!"

With a shout from Zhao Wuji, the nascent soul and the primordial spirit merged together like yin and yang fish, achieving unity of qi and spirit.

When I break through to the Nascent Soul stage in the future.

Both of these will be completely absorbed into the Dao Seal, leaving only a single Dao Seal containing the true spirit of the original self to endure.

"Boom!"

In an instant, the spiritual energy of the outside world surged back and forth, forming a spiritual energy vortex with a diameter of a thousand feet.

The purple energy gushing from the seventh-level spiritual vein rose like a dragon.

Outside the cave where Zhao Wuji broke through, a Dao mark, resembling a chasm, intertwined in mid-air. Within the crack of the chasm, countless golden threads of Daoist charm hung down.

Such an astonishing phenomenon immediately caused an uproar among the cultivators watching the ceremony in front of Immortal Saint Peak.

"This is."

The Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Tianjing Sect exclaimed in astonishment, "True Monarch Zhao has only just broken through to the Nascent Soul Perfection stage, yet he has already shown traces of the Dao?"

"Such a powerful surge of spiritual energy! The foundation of the Demon-Subduing and Saint-Manifesting True Monarch is truly immense."

A Golden Core cultivator exclaimed in surprise, pointing to the surging tide of spiritual energy in the air, "Such a vast amount of spiritual energy can only be supported by the seventh-level spiritual veins of the Immortal Saint Sect."

Inside the Immortal Saint Hall, Cang Yunzi's snow-white eyebrows moved without wind, his eyes reflecting the Dao mark of the chasm. He clapped his hands in praise: "Fellow Daoist Zhao's profound Dao charm is truly unparalleled in this world."

The Sword Lord of Asking Heaven stood with his hands behind his back in front of the hall, a rare smile appearing on his usually cold and stern face: "I'm afraid he will reach the Nascent Soul stage before me."

It seems that not only in the path of the sword, but also in the path of the Dao, I am indeed inferior to him.

Cang Yunzi, surrounded by divine light, nodded slightly upon hearing this, his sleeves swirling with Daoist charm, and said gently, "Fellow Daoist Wentian, you are mistaken."

Throughout history, countless cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul stage have toiled for thousands of years, only to be stopped here, never able to enter the gate of enlightenment in their lifetime.

This Nascent Soul realm requires not only the accumulation of magical power, but also innate talent, comprehension, and a sliver of fortuitous opportunity.

He cast his gaze toward the distant sea of ​​clouds and continued, "Take Fellow Daoist Qilin for example. In terms of talent, comprehension, and accumulated magical power, he is of the highest caliber."

Unfortunately, after several calamities of the Dharma-ending Age, when his physical body was reconstructed, that last vestige of his willpower had been completely extinguished.

Upon hearing this, the Sword Lord of Asking Heaven's expression turned solemn, and the Immortal Sword of Asking Heaven at his waist trembled slightly, emitting a clear and melodious sword sound.

He nodded solemnly and said, "Sect Master Cangyunzi is absolutely right. The Nascent Soul stage truly requires the right timing, location, and people."

Outside the palace, the sea of ​​clouds swelled and rolled, and the illusory image of the natural barrier solidified into a tangible form. Between the cracks, countless rays of spiritual light intertwined to form a dazzling Daoist charm, reflecting the radiant glow of the entire sky.

The cultivators from all over the Nine Provinces who came to witness the ceremony, whether they were minor Golden Core cultivators or powerful Nascent Soul cultivators, held their breath and gazed up at this once-in-a-century breakthrough phenomenon. The overwhelming heavenly might was three times more awe-inspiring than that of an ordinary cultivator undergoing a Nascent Soul tribulation!
Inside the VIP courtyard of the Immortal Saint Sect, Hua Qingshuang appeared calm on the surface, but her fingers were digging her nails into her palms, while Yan Lan frequently looked up.

Although he knew that with that person's extraordinary talent, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage was just a natural progression.

But when they heard the thunderous sound of the Great Dao coming from the sea of ​​clouds, they couldn't help but be moved, their mouths slightly open.

Nan Zhixia silently counted the jade beads in her hand, each clinking sound seemingly resonating perfectly with the Daoist rhythm emanating from the sky.

Li Shiyu stood before the carved railing, her black hair disheveled by the strong wind, but she didn't care about tidying it up.

They have been guarding this place for half a month, and now they can no longer maintain their composure.

Inside the cave, a powerful spiritual force suddenly spread out, and a surging tide of spiritual energy, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, rushed into Zhao Wuji's body, merging seamlessly with his nascent soul and spirit.

The mysterious mark between his brows suddenly burst forth with dazzling divine light, shining brilliantly.

Deep within the sea of ​​consciousness, the surface of the Yin-Yang Pearl shimmered with iridescent light, reflecting the new state of cultivation after the breakthrough.

[Nascent Soul Perfection (Dao Seal: 0)]

Zhao Wuji closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt that as his realm reached perfection, the feeling of communion between heaven and man became clearer and clearer, as if he could glimpse the most fundamental veins of heaven and earth.

The insights into the true meaning of "intercepting the Dao" surge forth like the tide of the spring river, each wave carrying the profound mysteries of the Great Dao.

The Dao trace spread and expanded in the sea of ​​consciousness, becoming increasingly profound and mysterious, as if it would condense into a substantial Dao seal at any moment.

Sudden.

His brow twitched, and he sensed an ancient and boundless pressure emanating from the depths of the heavens, like the gaze of the celestial order, making his soul tremble.

Beneath the deepest abyss of the earth's veins, an even more malevolent and filthy aura lurks, resembling the six great ancestral demons of the Nine Netherworlds breathing demonic energy.

"No wonder."

Zhao Wuji felt a chill run down his spine. "All the past Holy Sovereigns and Emperors who had ascended to the Ninth Heaven to explore it. The connection between Heaven and Man is so clear."

At this moment, his mind was clear, and he realized that only one last opportunity was needed.

One must wait until one's own energy resonates completely with heaven and earth, and at the moment when enlightenment is as natural and harmonious as breathing, the Dao imprint will naturally condense, and success will come naturally.

"There's no rush, there are still two hundred years to go."

A slight smile appeared on Zhao Wuji's lips.

The great calamity of the end of Dharma is still far away; breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage is merely a matter of time.

The time will come, perhaps tomorrow.

Just as he was pondering this, two familiar fluctuations of divine sense came from him.

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on taking another step forward on the path to enlightenment!"

Cang Yunzi's voice was filled with amazement.

"Another person has been added to the Nascent Soul Perfection Realm in this world."

The Sword Master of Asking the Heavens also transmitted his voice with a smile.

"Thank you!"

Zhao Wuji responded with a light laugh, and with a flick of his wide sleeves, he made a hand seal with his fingers.

"Cut off the wind to gain momentum, and transform into the wind to move."

call out!
His figure vanished from the spot in an instant, and the next moment he appeared inside the Immortal Saint Palace.

Upon seeing this, the two people in the hall narrowed their eyes slightly.

This is a technique that integrates Daoist principles into instantaneous teleportation.
"Fellow Daoist Zhao's control over the Dao is truly unparalleled. Although I have already condensed the Dao Seal, I may not be much better than you."

Cangyunzi clapped his hands in praise.

The Sword Lord of Asking the Heavens stared at Zhao Wuji's figure, his sword eyes flashing with a sharp light: "Wuji, it seems that the Nascent Soul Realm is already within your grasp."

Zhao Wuji smiled calmly: "It will take some time to adjust, until that opportune moment arrives."

He looked at the Sword Master Wentian and smiled, "Who knows, in time, the Sect Master and I will be able to break through to the Divine Realm at the same time, and then together with Sect Master Cangyunzi, we will go to the Nine Heavens Palace."

"it is good!"

Upon hearing this, the Sword Lord of Asking Heaven's eyes flashed with sword light, and his loud laughter shook the surrounding spiritual energy: "Let's wield our swords and roam the heavens together!"

Asking the Heavens has always been his pursuit and his path. Therefore, he was able to quickly comprehend his own Daoist principles and the Daoist principles of the Heavenly Sword.

Cang Yunzi lightly swept his whisk and smiled, "Now that Fellow Daoist Zhao has successfully broken through to the next realm, what are your plans?"

"We still need to venture into a secret realm."

Zhao Wuji responded that the Jianmu Dao Seal he obtained from Jin Linzi's remains still had a faint sense of summoning, pointing to a distant location.

He speculated that there might be traces of the Jianmu tree, the remnant of the ancient celestial court, that had collapsed there.

He looked at Cang Yunzi and said, "The remaining three Yu Cauldrons have also made progress in recent years. I will gather all nine cauldrons together."

His gaze swept across the sea of ​​clouds outside the window, and he said calmly, "When we ascend to the Ninth Heaven, we will have an even greater chance of success."

Upon hearing this, Cangyunzi and Wentianjianjun exchanged glances and nodded in goodwill.

"Gentlemen, please stay here. I'm going to visit an old friend."

Zhao Wuji smiled nonchalantly, and with a flourish of his wide sleeves, he performed a Taoist kowtow.

As his toes lightly touched the ground, a ripple-like spiritual pattern appeared on the bluestone slab, and his figure appeared in the VIP courtyard of the Immortal Saint Sect as easily as a gentle breeze.

But what we saw inside the courtyard at this time.

Yan Lan was pouring tea from a jade pot, while Nan Zhixia leaned against the railing watching the clouds, her dress swaying gently in the wind.

Hua Qingshuang tuned the strings with her delicate hands, while sandalwood incense wafted from the zither table, lit by Li Shiyu.

The four women simultaneously sensed the familiar energy fluctuations and turned around.

"Oh~" Yan Lan stood up and chuckled, the tassels on her skirt swaying gently. "Our Grand Master who just broke through to the Nascent Soul stage has finally come to see us?"

As Yan Lan was speaking, she suddenly noticed the faint traces left by sixty years of time at the corner of Zhao Wuji's eyes, and her heart ached.

The teasing and scolding from before have also vanished without a trace.

She drew closer, her slender hand naturally taking Zhao Wuji's arm, and said with a smile, "My little darling, all these years, I've found the whereabouts of those three broken cauldrons for you."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble, Master Uncle."

Feeling the warm, soft touch of her arms, Zhao Wuji smiled and stepped forward, looking up.

Hua Qingshuang wore a flowing ice-silk crane cloak, her late-stage Nascent Soul spiritual power swirling around her, yet a faint blush on the tips of her ears betrayed her feigned aloofness.

Seeing Zhao Wuji's gaze sweep over, he nodded slightly and then turned to look at the drifting clouds in the sky.

Nan Zhixia chuckled softly, her apricot-colored shawl draped over her shoulders, the spiritual light of her early Nascent Soul stage flickering in her eyes.

Li Shiyu put down the incense in her hand with delight. Lingwei, who had reached the perfect Golden Core stage, was already close to breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.

Four pairs of eyes met, as if the seasons were turning. Although it was only a fleeting glance, it seemed as if a thousand emotions were flowing between them.

"The matter of the Nine Tripods is not urgent for now."

Zhao Wuji suddenly chuckled, a smile appearing in his eyes. "It's rare to find you all here today, the day I leave the pass. Why don't we drink together in the wine pool tonight before we set off?"

"Unrestrained!"

"It seems that after sixty years of cultivation, things have gotten worse."

Four soft, embarrassed spitting sounds rang out simultaneously.

Yan Lan's slender hands refused to let go of Zhao Wuji's arm, her eyes flashing with a hint of stubbornness: "Junior nephew, are you trying to use the same trick again to get your senior uncle drunk?"

This time, she won't run away anymore.

Hua Qingshuang's mind flashed back to the disheveled scene of the flood years ago. She lifted her jade feet slightly as if to retreat, but then she abruptly stopped herself.

Nan Zhixia's long eyelashes trembled slightly, while Li Shiyu bit her lips until they were bright red.

The two women were so ashamed that their ears were practically bleeding, yet they remained motionless as if they were rooted to the spot.

After sixty years of seclusion and waiting, they were on their way precisely when the message from half a month ago arrived. They didn't even dare to get too deep into meditation, for fear of missing the moment when the stone gate of the secret realm would open.

Though her cheeks are flushed with rosy light, she knows that tonight will be an unforgettable spiritual journey.

This time, however, no one was willing to run away or give up their place.

"Let's drink! We won't leave until we're drunk!"

Yan Lan suddenly snorted, then glared fiercely at Zhao Wuji and said, "Today I will teach you what it's like to be surrounded from all sides!"

"The four of us can overpower you, how could we possibly lose?"

"Wait a minute."

Li Shiyu glanced sideways and frowned, her voice as soft as a feather, "Sisters, my cultivation is still shallow. I haven't broken through to the Nascent Soul stage yet. Why don't I drink with my husband first, and you sisters can stay behind and cover for me?"

"Dream on! Your cultivation level is too low. For your safety, you should stay back!"

Under the moonlight, the four figures drew closer and closer to Zhao Wuji, then stepped together into the portal of the Pot Heaven space, their figures overlapping.
(End of this chapter)