Immortals of the End Times

Time flies like an arrow; half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Deep within the earth's veins, scorching lava surges ceaselessly within dark caves.

The distorted, high temperature scorched the air like boiling glass.

If an ordinary Golden Core cultivator were here, they would probably be reduced to ashes in less than three breaths.

Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch needs to constantly protect his body with magical power and cannot stay for long.

At this moment, Zhao Wuji, accompanied by Yan Lan, strolled leisurely through the area.

He was seen forming a fire-sitting incantation with his fingertips, and a pale golden aura flowed around him, causing the scorching magma to part automatically like a gentle stream.

The Zhenhai Stele floating in front of Yan Lan glowed brightly, making her red dress appear as red as blood, and even more alluring under the reflection of the lava.

"I never imagined that the Jizhou Cauldron would be hidden here."

Zhao Wuji's eyes flickered slightly, his expression one of surprise.

In the preceding six months, he successively acquired the Jingzhou Cauldron, a symbol of war and conquest, and the Yuzhou Cauldron, a symbol of the Human Emperor.

As Yan Lan had predicted, the final central cauldron is indeed hidden within the core of the earth's veins.

In addition, what surprised him even more was that the summoning feeling of Jianmu Daoyun was becoming increasingly strong in this place.

It seems that the location of the central cauldron, the Jizhou Cauldron, is connected to the place where the Daoist charm of the Jianmu tree is summoned.

He scanned his surroundings with his divine sense.

But the cave walls were covered with mysterious patterns, and every gully was filled with lush green life.

Zhao Wuji suddenly stopped in mid-air, his blood-moon double pupils gleaming with an unusual light, revealing some clues.

These traces appear natural, but in reality, they seem to be the tracks of some kind of plant root that were formed later in life.

"Let me see clearly."

He made a hand seal with his fingers together.

The silvery glow of the Dream Interpretation Technique ripples like water, allowing the divine to touch the ravines and use this as a medium to interpret dreams.

In an instant, an ancient scene appeared before his eyes.

But then a towering, divine tree rose from the ground, its roots, like writhing dragons, plunging straight into the lava at the earth's core.

Despite the scorching flames, the wood grain only became more brilliant, the canopy pierced through the nine layers of clouds, and the sun, moon, and stars seemed to hang among the branches and leaves.
"It turns out that the deep caves and pits deep within the central energy vein of Zhongzhou were once formed by the roots of the Jianmu tree."

Zhao Wuji's divine sense swept across all directions like a tidal wave.

This abyss and pit is vast and boundless, but it is covered by a thick crust, forming a lava world that is isolated from the sun.

The scorching subterranean fire flowed between the rock crevices, illuminating the entire underground as if it were a purgatory.

"This Earth's crust"

His eyes flickered slightly, and a hint of realization flashed in his double pupils. "It is probably a natural barrier that has been formed over thousands of years of evolution."

This place is mysterious and unpredictable, perhaps because it is the central energy vein of the Nine Provinces where the fire elemental power is so concentrated that it is almost tangible.

Crimson bubbles burst open from time to time in the lava lake, each bursting spewing out pure fire essence.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a dragon's roar shook the lava, causing it to surge.

A massive, crimson lava dragon burst forth from the waves, golden magma flowing between its scales, and its spiritual power was comparable to that of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

"Certainly!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed, and with a light tap of his finger, the immobilization spell was released in golden light.

Instantly, the dragon was imprisoned in mid-air.

With a change of hand seals, the profound fluctuations of the Beast Gathering Technique spread out like ripples, and the ferocity in the giant dragon's scarlet eyes gradually turned into gentleness.

"lead the way."

He leaped onto the dragon's head, and the lava dragon let out a long roar, carrying the two of them into the depths of the lava.

Instantly, a wave of scorching heat rushed towards her, steaming Yan Lan's silk robe until it clung tightly to her delicate body, outlining her breathtaking curves.

"Good nephew, I'm dying of heat!"

Yan Lan's red lips parted slightly, and her slender fingers unhooked half an inch of her robe, revealing her snow-white skin, which shone like warm jade emitting smoke in the molten lava firelight.

The phoenix and flame pattern on her collarbone flickered with her breath, as if a living creature were about to take flight.

As her eyes darted around, her jade-like feet deliberately caressed Zhao Wuji's legs, her delicate body clinging to him like vines, her breath hot as fire.

"Is my senior master playing with fire?"

Zhao Wuji chuckled, and with a backhand flick, a crisp sound landed on her pert buttocks, startling her into a seductive tremor.

Yan Lan gasped in surprise, but instead pressed herself even closer to his back, feeling a thrillingly soft, bouncy sensation through his clothes.

Zhao Wuji smiled and shook his head. The soft, supple texture of his palm darkened his eyes slightly. He said in a low voice, "Once we find the Central Cauldron, I will definitely let my senior uncle know what true heat is."

Yan Lan snorted softly, a glint of fire flashing in her beautiful eyes, her red lips curving into a bewitching smile: "Come on then, who's afraid of me? It's perfect that the lava is rolling around here. I've never tried taking a lava bath with you, my junior nephew, before."

Zhao Wuji sighed inwardly. After shedding his shyness and the thin veil of his identity, his senior master Yan had truly let loose completely.

Fortunately, he has always practiced martial arts, and he is still physically strong and has the energy of a dragon. Even when facing four women at the same time, he can handle them with ease.

"Roar!!"

At this moment, the lava dragon beast beneath him suddenly let out a shrill roar, its hundred-foot-long body twisting wildly, its golden and red scales cracking and splashing lava everywhere, like rain of blood.

No matter how the golden patterns of the Beast Gathering Technique entangled the dragon's soul, the beast struggled and retreated even as its soul was torn apart, its dragon eyes reflecting the terrifying scene below the abyss.

"Ok?"

Zhao Wuji's blood-moon double pupils suddenly contracted.

Thousands of feet below, the entire sea of ​​lava was abruptly severed by a golden curtain of sky.

The barrier was filled with the illusory images of the mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces, and every pattern seemed to be formed from the earth's veins and dragon energy.

The magnificent fortune condensed into a tangible chain of black and yellow, causing the void to twist and collapse.

And in the center of the barrier.

"This is."

A broken section of the giant tree root lay across the ground like an ancient god's corpse. Its thousand-foot-long trunk was covered with dragon-scale-like cracks, and the jagged wood fibers at the break point were still wriggling, as if telling of the excruciating pain of being forcibly torn apart.

The most terrifying thing was the two intertwined auras at the cross-section.

The upper half was a hazy, yellowish calamity, surging like pus and blood; the lower half was a chilling Daoist aura, transforming into countless writhing black threads.

Wherever it goes, it corrodes even the space itself, creating honeycomb-like holes!
At the very center of this vortex where death and life are locked in a fierce struggle, a bronze cauldron floats silently.

The ancient seal script of "Jizhou" on the body of the tripod is slightly blurred, but the coiled dragon pattern still emits a faint light under the reflection of the lava.

As each line lit up, a mysterious yellow aura, like a living thing, wrapped around the broken tendrils of the Jianmu tree, struggling to maintain its last thread of life amidst the turbidity of calamity and the primordial energy of the Dao.

"It's the Jizhou Cauldron!"

Yan Lan's red lips parted slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her snow-white neck; she was quite surprised.

She vaguely sensed that the eerie and terrifying Daoist aura at the broken roots of the Jianmu tree gave off a feeling of deadly threat.

It was as if getting involved would lead to utter ruin, so she instinctively grabbed Zhao Wuji's arm to warn him.

"Nephew, be careful!"

Zhao Wuji waved his wide sleeves lightly and said, "It's alright. To be on the safe side, it would be best for you to avoid this for the time being."

He made a hand seal, and the void portal of the Pot Heaven space suddenly opened.

"it is good!"

Yan Lan lightly pecked his cheek with her red lips like a dragonfly skimming the water, her eyes sparkling with allure: "Nephew, you must be careful, I'm still waiting to bathe in lava with you."

"Go!" Zhao Wuji patted Yan Lan's back.

As the red figure disappeared into the void, Zhao Wuji's expression suddenly hardened, his double pupils flashing like lightning as he looked towards the magnificent aura barrier in front of him.

He suddenly pressed his fingers together in a mudra, his expression hardened, and a light suddenly shone from his brow.

With a sweeping gaze as sharp as lightning, the blood-red moonlight pierced straight into the depths of that magnificent barrier of destiny.

"Confess!"

He pointed his sword out like lightning, and the world instantly changed color.

The mysterious light of the summoning technique transformed into thousands of golden threads that tore through the sky, each one entwined with the true meaning of intercepting the Dao, forming a net that enveloped the barrier like a heavenly net.

Wherever the golden threads passed, the void twisted and trembled, drawing away all the spiritual energy from the earth's veins within a thousand miles, condensing it into a tangible, colossal black and yellow dragon.

"Move it!"

Before the power of the previous technique could be fully displayed, Zhao Wuji formed a movement incantation with his left hand, creating a mountain-moving force.

The two Earthly Fiend Techniques complemented each other, generating a dazzling golden light on the surface of the barrier.

"boom!!"

The spiritual light from both spells simultaneously pierced through the barrier, crashing into that thousand-foot-long root like a cascading galaxy.

The wood grain lit up one after another, channeling all the magical power into the earth's veins.

In an instant, the earth trembled and the energy resonated, but the root remained completely still, not even a single wood shaving fell off.

"Ok?"

Zhao Wuji's pupils suddenly contracted.

In his double pupils, every line of that tendril extended into countless golden threads of fortune, closely connected to the earth's veins.

The entangled Jizhou Cauldron was like a tripod with its legs and roots growing together, and the coiled dragon patterns on the cauldron's ears exhaled black and yellow, completely dissolving the force of the movement and making it unshakeable.

"Unable to move an inch?"

His eyes shimmered with the blood moon, revealing that the roots of the Jianmu tree were now completely integrated with the fortune of the Nine Provinces.

Let alone the power of the magic at this moment, even if a Nascent Soul Dao Lord were to arrive in person, it would probably be difficult to shake the foundation of this divine object that connects heaven and earth.

"Trouble"

Zhao Wuji frowned slightly, and a bronze square cauldron suddenly flew out from his sleeve.

The coiled dragon patterns on the handles of the cauldron exude a mysterious and powerful aura; it is none other than the Yuzhou Cauldron, the Emperor's Cauldron, a relic from ancient times. It is the only one among the Nine Cauldrons whose aura is similar to that of the Jizhou Cauldron.

"Boom!"

The four ancient seal characters "社稷永昌" (meaning "May the nation prosper forever") on the body of the cauldron burst forth with dazzling golden light. At the handles, the phantom of the human emperor holds a jade tablet and bows, while the vast fortune of the human race surges like the Yellow River, condensing into a colossal black and yellow dragon in the void.

Zhao Wuji waved his sleeve again, and five bronze rainbow lights suddenly burst forth from it.

"Wow!!"

The Yangzhou Ding is suspended in mid-air, and the whirlpool of the South China Sea appears on its mouth.

The three thousand weak waters poured from the cauldron, transforming into a sky full of water vapor that condensed into clouds, each drop reflecting the patterns of the tides.

"Boom!"

The Liangzhou Ding stands like a pillar supporting the heavens, and the illusory images of the Five Sacred Mountains emerge from its body.

Mount Tai is majestic, Mount Hua is precipitous, Mount Heng is beautiful, Mount Hengshan is wondrous, and Mount Song is profound.

The vital energy of the Five Sacred Mountains is connected to the earth's veins, causing the surrounding mountains and rivers to resonate.

"Crack!"

The Qingzhou Ding is surrounded by purple lightning, and the body of the ding is decorated with kui dragon patterns.

In an instant, wind and thunder arrived together, with the gale of the nine heavens and the divine thunder of the nine heavens intertwining at the mouth of the cauldron, transforming into blue and white Dao patterns that swirled around.

"Buzz!"

The Yin and Yang energies circulate within the Yongzhou Cauldron, and a diagram of the Six Paths of Reincarnation appears on its belly.

The black and white energy currents intertwined like evil dragons, and the life and death energies condensed into a Tai Chi diagram at the handle of the cauldron.

"Whoosh!"

The Yanzhou Ding drips with jade-like starlight, and within the cauldron, a wondrous phenomenon of a dragon leaping over the gate is revealed.

The countless illusory images of koi carp breathed out vitality, turning the surrounding lava a deep turquoise.

"The six cauldrons have returned to their positions, and the Qi has formed an array! Let's activate this barrier!"

Zhao Wuji gave a clear shout and formed a guiding hand seal with both hands.

The rainbow light transformed from the six square cauldrons instantly intertwined into a net.

Under the guidance of the technique, six distinct forces of heaven and earth intertwined like dragons and snakes, outlining brilliant Dao patterns on the surface of the barrier.

Humanity's legacy, the true meaning of rivers and lakes, the mysterious earth's veins, celestial phenomena of wind and thunder, the cycle of yin and yang, and the vitality of all things.

The six great energies surged into the barrier!

"Crack!"

Suddenly, spiderweb-like golden marks appeared on the surface of the Qi Luck Barrier, and countless Dao patterns twisted and struggled like living things.

At that moment, the Dao mark between Zhao Wuji's brows shone brightly, and the true meaning of the Intercepting Dao transformed into a tangible golden light that emanated from his body.

"cut!"

A shout resounded like thunder, and a golden light, like a celestial blade, slashed down, striking precisely the weakest point of the barrier.

The once unbreakable barrier was now torn open like a piece of brocade, with fragments flying like glass, revealing the surging aura of fortune within.

"go with!"

Zhao Wuji's wide sleeves billowed, and the demon tree clone instantly flew out from the Pot Heaven space, transforming into a streak of green light and disappearing into the gap in the barrier.

The main body remained in place, surrounded by six cauldrons, ready to deal with any sudden changes.

The moment the demon tree clone stepped into the barrier, it was as if it had sunk into a quagmire.

A powerful aura pressed down like ten thousand mountains, causing the branches of the body to crack and creak.

"Air blockage!"

The clone made hand seals with lightning speed, and the Earthly Fiend Qi forbidden technique condensed into a green light barrier. The wooden Dao patterns on the tree bark lit up one after another, and it struggled to open up a three-foot foothold.

"This is."

His clone's eyes narrowed sharply, and he saw that at the point where the thousand-foot-long severed beard was facing him, the aura of the Heavenly Dao Tribulation was clashing with that terrifying Daoist charm like a dragon and snake locked in a fierce battle.

Half of the calamity-induced turmoil churned like boiling water, while the other half, imbued with a chilling Daoist aura, spewed forth demonic light, effectively pinning the life force of the Jianmu tree to the broken edge, preventing it from healing.

"rustle!!"

The Jianmu Dao pattern between the avatar's brows suddenly flickered violently, and thousands of strands of black hair moved without wind.

In that instant, Zhao Wuji seemed to hear a mournful cry from ancient times.

That seemed to be the lament of the remaining spirit of the Jianmu tree.

Despite possessing immense vitality that connects the three realms, it is now like a mayfly trapped in pine resin, unable to escape this tiny cage even if it flaps its wings countless times.

"I see!"

A sudden realization dawned on him.

The Jizhou Cauldron was not entangled or bound by the Jianmu tree, but rather a barrier protecting its last chance of survival!

Each time the coiled dragon pattern on the cauldron's handle flashed, a mysterious yellow energy was injected into the Jianmu tree. Combined with the power of the Heavenly Dao's calamity, an amber-colored light film was formed at the broken edge, stubbornly resisting the erosion of the unknown and terrifying Daoist aura.

Even so.
"Crack!"

A tiny crack suddenly appeared on one of the branches of the clone. Although it was insignificant compared to the main body, it still sent chills down Zhao Wuji's spine.

Just by glimpsing the clash of Daoist principles, a sense of decay spread through his line of sight.

Even more terrifying, these black lines wriggle like living creatures, spreading outwards along the wood grain.

Wherever it passed, the wood fibers carbonized, emitting a sizzling sound that made your teeth ache.

"No wonder."

Zhao Wuji frowned slightly.

With the immense power and vitality of the Jianmu tree that connects heaven and earth, even if only a single root remains, it should be able to grow into a towering ancient tree again.

But now, that chilling Daoist aura is like a malignant tumor clinging to the bone, not only sealing off the breach but also constantly eroding the life force within!

Only this piece of root remains, barely clinging to life, demonstrating the terrifying and severe erosion caused by the Daoist energy.

A chill inexplicably rose in Zhao Wuji's heart.

If he were allowed to continue to erode this terrifying Daoist aura, he could almost see what would happen tens of millions of years from now.

That vibrant root of the Jianmu tree will eventually be corroded into a withered, rotten piece of wood, disintegrating inch by inch in the magma, turning into specks of ashes and dissipating.

The last trace of Jianmu left in the world will be the seed of the demon tree clone, which continues the bloodline of the ancient divine tree in solitude.

"What kind of being left behind this Daoist aura?"

His brows were furrowed, and the blood-red light in his double pupils transformed into a flowing blood moon.

It can contend with the Jianmu tree, a divine object that connects heaven and earth, for thousands of years without weakening, and even gain the upper hand. Could it be a mysterious existence that once competed with the Four Heavenly Venerables?
Or is it that the root cause of the Heavenly Dao's degeneration into calamity and corruption lies with the master of this Daoist essence?
Various speculations exploded in my mind like thunderclaps, but I could never grasp the truth.

"Now that I've found this place, it seems I still can't take away the last Jizhou Cauldron and the roots of the Jianmu tree."

He scanned the surroundings with his divine sense, and the ancient patterns on the cave walls were faintly visible under the reflection of the lava.

The lingering Daoist charm of Jianmu in these patterns reminded him of the incomplete Daoist seal in Jin Linzi's remains.

"I wonder if Senior Jin Linzi ever set foot here back then?"

He frowned slightly.

The environment deep within this ley line is truly extraordinary.

The temperature was so high that even a Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to stay there for long.

The barrier was so deeply hidden that it could not be found without the guidance of the Six Cauldrons.

Even if one finds them, without the Six Cauldrons and the understanding of the Dao, it is impossible to enter the barrier.

Not to mention the terrifying aura of the Dao, which is enough to deter any intruder.

Millions of years have passed.

Zhao Wuji sighed softly, "The last chance of life for the Jianmu tree is to linger on in such a desperate situation."

Otherwise, if the Jianmu tree still existed, this world might not have continued to be trapped in the cycle of decline and decay.

His gaze shifted to the stubbornly resisting root within the barrier, and suddenly an idea struck him.

"Let's give it a try and see if we can do anything."

To be on the safe side, Zhao Wuji made a hand seal with his fingers together, and the silver light of the Sprout Technique rippled like water.

They began to foresee the consequences of their various actions.

In an instant, countless premonitions flashed before my eyes.

In the foresight, he attempted to use the human race's fortune, led by the Yuzhou Cauldron, to cleanse the Daoist aura, only to see the ancient seal script characters "Sheji Yongchang" on the cauldron's body crumble inch by inch, the golden dragon of fortune wailing and dissipating, blood spurting from his seven orifices, and his Daoist foundation completely destroyed.

Immediately afterwards, he used the Finger Transformation Technique to try to alter the essence of the Dao, but his five fingers instantly turned to stone.

The eerie corrosive power spread along his arm, instantly turning him into a stone statue kneeling before the Jianmu tree.

He then continued to mobilize the six cauldrons to form an array to suppress the attack, but the six Yu Cauldrons shattered simultaneously under the backlash of the Daoist energy.

The fragments pierced his body like meteors, pinning his nascent soul to the void.
Every future attempt to resolve the Daoist principles flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.

Every ending is one of utter annihilation, body and soul, with no hope of redemption!
The most terrifying thing was when he tried to sever the connection of Daoist principles with the true meaning of the Dao Intercepting Dao.

The Daoist aura seemed to flow upstream like a living thing, connecting directly into the sea of ​​consciousness.

In the foreseen vision, his primordial spirit was corrupted, transforming into a monster covered in black blood, which ironically became the vessel of Daoist energy.
"puff!"

Zhao Wuji's body trembled violently, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, forcibly interrupting his premonition. A look of horror appeared in his eyes.

Those foreseen tragic ends, though merely various possibilities for the future, already made his Dao heart tremble.

This terrifying Daoist aura is like a bone-deep infection; touching it means certain death!
Who exactly was the powerful being who unleashed such terrifying Daoist energy back then?

"Is there really no solution?!"

(End of this chapter)