This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

The loss of five eighth-level experts and a semi-immortal weapon in a single day alarmed the higher-ups of the Qingyun Sword Sect.

Jian Chen was arrested and held accountable by the sect's law enforcement hall.

Upon learning that he had summoned a terrestrial immortal, even the sect leader of the main sect was alarmed.

Jian Chen could not escape punishment. Instead of seeking revenge, he sent an elder at the Ninth Heaven Realm to Tianshui Town to try to ease tensions with Li Daoxuan.

However, upon arriving in Tianshui Town, they did not see Li Daoxuan.

They summoned the town official in charge of Tianshui for questioning, and then followed the clues to find Chen Xun's trail.

Jian Chen mentioned that Li Daoxuan wanted ownership of the Eight Hundred Li Heavenly Water Marsh.

A mere Earth Immortal would never demand an ordinary body of water for no reason. Therefore, in the eyes of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect, the Heavenly Water Marsh, which had never received their attention, might have some unknown secret.

The elders of the Qingyun Sword Sect searched back and forth in Tianshui Marsh with this suspicion, but found nothing.

A month later, the Qingyun Sword Sect elder had no choice but to leave in a huff.

Before leaving, he summoned the steward of Tianshui Town and told him that from now on, Tianshui Marsh and Tianshui Town would belong to Li Daoxuan. If Li Daoxuan did not appear, then Chen Xun, as Li Daoxuan's disciple, would be the master of this territory.

And so, Tianshui Marsh changed hands, with the twelve-year-old Chen Xun becoming its controller.

However, the person in charge of this matter was hiding on the island and dared not show his face.

For the past month, the Ninth Heaven Elder had been flying around overhead almost every day, scaring Chen Xun so much that he dared not make a move.

It wasn't until another month later that Chen Xun dared to leave the island and go to town to buy daily necessities.

However, when he reappeared in Tianshui Town, the entire town seemed to have become a different place than he recognized.

The supreme steward of Tianshui Town prostrated himself before him in front of the entire town.

He then publicly announced that from this day forward, Chen Xun would be the master of Tianshui Marsh and Tianshui Town.

The entire vast Tian Shui Marshland belongs to Chen Xun.

Chen Xun was completely baffled by this.

However, after realizing what was happening, he guessed that it must be related to his master.

Chen Xun naturally did not want to be the master of Tianshui Town, but since it was arranged by his master, he would not refuse.

From that day on, Chen Xun would occasionally come to the town from the island to learn about the situation in Tianshui Town.

The chubby boy who had helped him when he was in trouble also received the reward he deserved.

This is the earth-shattering change brought about by strength.

In the Xuanhuang Great World, reasoning is the most useless method; everything is based on the principle of respecting the strong.

Li Daoxuan is an Earth Immortal, so he is qualified to directly snatch the Eight Hundred Li Heavenly Water Marsh from the Qingyun Sword Sect.

If Li Daoxuan's strength were even slightly weaker, even if he had reached the peak of the Ninth Heaven, the Qingyun Sword Sect would never have backed down like this.

Because they could easily afford the cost of dealing with a Ninth Heaven Realm expert.

This inexplicable storm gradually subsided.

But things in this world are never smooth sailing.

This wave has barely subsided when a new storm is about to rise.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Lingze Blessed Land is one of the seventy-two blessed lands in the Xuanhuang Great World.

It is also the headquarters of the main sect of the Qingyun Sword Sect.

Like the Jingming Cave, it is also a secluded little world.

However, there is a very clear difference between a grotto-heaven and a blessed land.

The term "Dongtian" means "a cave in the mountains that leads directly to heaven".

The mountain does not refer to a mountain in the ordinary sense, but to the entire Xuanhuang Great World.

The phrase "a cave in the mountain" refers to a separate, independent space within the vast universe.

Reaching the heavens doesn't mean having any connection with the celestial realm, but rather that the grotto-heaven is a world unto itself.

Mountains, rivers, the sun and moon, lakes and seas are all formed naturally.

It belongs to its own independent little world, with its own rules governing the operation of heaven and earth.

While the Blessed Land may appear to be a small world, it does not actually exist independently; it is merely a special area within the Xuanhuang Great World.

For some reason, these special areas are separated by the power of the void, making them distinct from the outside world, like a formation or a secret realm.

These areas are called blessed lands mainly because they are mostly rich in spiritual energy, with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth being far more concentrated than that of the outside world.

Therefore, powerful sects and factions will try every means to seize control of these blessed lands.

Only sects that possess blessed lands as their base can truly be called holy land sects.

In the Xuanhuang Great World, there are several ancient clans with lineages spanning tens of thousands of years. They are no longer satisfied with blessed lands and have directly occupied a grotto-heaven world, using incredible means to directly change its rules of heaven and earth, and using the grotto-heaven as their sect's headquarters.

For example, the Hongyu Sacred Realm, where the Hongyu Imperial Clan, which dominated the world, resided, was transformed from a grotto-heaven world.

Getting back to the main topic, let's return to this blessed land of spiritual energy.

In the southwest of Lizhou, there is a large city that is rare in the world, capable of gathering millions of people, called Qingyun City.

At the northernmost part of Qingyun City, there is a Qingyun Ladder with a total of 1,001 steps.

As you climb the Azure Cloud Ladder step by step to the top, you will see a gate that is more than ten feet tall. This gate was not built by human hands, but was transformed from the crack where two mountain peaks meet.

A couplet hangs beside the main gate.

First line: The beautiful green mountains conceal the bones of a sword.

The second line reads: "The clear clouds and tranquil scenery exude a celestial aura."

Above the gate is written: A blessed land of spiritual grace, the sacred sect of Qingyun.

Looking inside from the entrance, all you could see was a vast expanse of white, like a dreamlike illusion, and you couldn't even see the path beneath your feet.

Ordinary people, without a token or special method of entry or exit, simply cannot get in.

Even if you get inside, you'll eventually end up back at the door.

Therefore, the gate to this blessed land of spiritual grace has stood for thousands of years. There are countless pilgrims in Qingyun City below the steps, but no one has ever been able to break in.

Of course, such methods can stop ordinary people, but not immortals.

Li Daoxuan was unaware of the situation. He only heard from the murdered Third Elder that Lingze Blessed Land could not be entered without a token, so he assumed that this blessed land was like Jingming Cave Heaven, inaccessible from the outside.

That's why they went to the trouble of going to the southwest branch of the sect to borrow the sect leader's token.

If he came in person, he would know that there was no need for all this trouble.

After passing through this door, a completely different world unfolds inside.

This is a truly blessed land of immortals.

Clouds and mist swirl around the peaks like ribbons; clear springs meander around the rocks like sweet rain.

The mountains and rivers are beautiful and spiritual, with one fairy peak after another standing in the air; waterfalls flow and rush, and fairy birds and beasts often leisurely circle around.

Even more remarkable are those who ride on flying magical artifacts, their robes billowing in the wind, resembling immortals, soaring among those floating mountain peaks.

Above the mountain peaks, there are pavilions, towers, and celestial palaces.

Here, the hustle and bustle of the world is absent, only the sound of pine trees and cranes echoing, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

Such a sacred and divine place, no wonder people yearn for it.

However, deep within this sacred realm, a different tense scene was unfolding.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

I'm taking care of the kids this weekend and don't have time to write, so I'll just add one extra chapter today.

Monday