Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 360: Chapter 238: Hidden Legacy_1

Three months later, Chen Country, Righteous Qi Peak.

“Heaven and earth hold righteous qi, which shapes its flow in myriad forms.”

This peak, towering ten thousand zhang high and piercing through the clouds, is surrounded by the Haoqi Cloud Dragon that coils around the mountain like a pillar, presenting a spectacle of such grandeur that it shocks to the core. The majestic mountains, together with the vast sea of clouds, seem to have been naturally formed, flawless and perfect. No one knows how many formation restrictions have been placed there.

It is the site of the mountain gate of the Haoqi Sect, the number one sect in the world.

At the summit of the Peak of the Cloud Dragon, atop Righteous Qi Peak.

A middle-aged man stands with his hands behind his back, his temples slightly grayed but his features still sharp and distinguished. A sense of stern elegance exudes from him, befitting of a Grand Cultivator of the Confucian Gate, the Corpse Resolution Sword Immortal.

It is none other than the Supreme Leader of the Haoqi Sect—Meng Fuyao!

“Master!”

An Escape Light flies in, materializing one’s form.

“How did it go?”

Meng Fuyao stares into the sea of clouds without turning back.

Li Qiankun speaks in a grave tone, “In the span of three months, the Five Palaces and Twelve Towers of the White Jade Capital have simultaneously launched raids, sweeping through the three countries and surrounding regions. Mispirit Island, Black Soil City, Qingfeng Mountain, Red River Valley, Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, and other nine sects have been annihilated. Not a single cultivator, Golden Core or Foundation Establishment, escaped. Loose cultivators have also been subjected to a bloodbath. Now in the surrounding nations, including the territories under our Four Sects, everyone feels endangered, and public sentiment is surging!”

“Oh?”

Hearing this alarming news, Meng Fuyao merely lets out a small sound of surprise, seemingly not much taken aback, “Such grand action indeed!”

Li Qiankun nods, “This person truly has means, the way he refines demons allowing for prolonged combat. The Five Palaces and Twelve Towers fought for three months, consecutively breaking through the gates of nine sects, slaying dozens of Golden Cores, and hundreds of Foundation Establishments. It seems they still have remaining strength. They must be cultivators with Wonderful Skills from the Upper Realm without a doubt.”

The words were filled with mixed feelings of admiration.

After the Demon Extermination War, in the span of three years, the territories of the Three Sects of Snow God and their three subordinated countries were wholly taken over by the White Jade Capital, becoming its foundational base.

TNow, the White Jade Immortal City is located in the White Dragon Snow Ridge, and the three countries have merged, no longer honoring human monarchies but instead transforming into the rule of cultivator sects, and within their territories, they have widely opened sect gateways, recruiting disciples on a massive scale.

Such unexpected developments stun everyone.

Although this world is abundant in Yuan Spirits, they are tainted by demons. One requires Five Viscera Human Pills and demon transformation spiritual objects for cultivation; otherwise, it is not cultivation but rather a path to death.

But whether it’s Five Viscera Pills or demon transformation spiritual objects, both are scarce commodities that cannot satisfy large-scale demands.

Therefore, the sects of this world, without exception, follow the path of cultivating elites. Even for a top Corpse Resolution Sect like Haoqi Sect, the number of true cultivators within its disciples barely exceeds a thousand, highlighting the difficulty.

If even the Haoqi Sect is so challenged, it goes without saying for other powers; their numbers of cultivators are not high at all.

Resources are limited, better less but better.

This is the consensus among the sects of this world.

However, White Jade Capital did the opposite. After taking over the Three Sects, it widely opened the gates and recruited disciples aggressively. Even without a deliberate count, a rough estimate easily exceeds ten thousand people, and perhaps even more.

With over ten thousand disciples starting cultivation, where would he get so many demon transformation spiritual objects to supply them?

If not demon transformation spiritual objects, then it must be Demon Transformation Mana Points.

Combined with the demon transformation spirit talismans and spirit pills recently introduced by White Jade Capital, Li Qiankun comes to such a conclusion.

They must have a way with demon transformation, and Wonderful Skills from the Upper Realm!

If it was someone from this world, how could they have remained hidden until now, letting the world be in such a state?

Upper Realm cultivators with a way of demon transformation are not just a difference in development but also a difference in combat strength.

Due to the corruption of Demonic Qi, it cannot be accumulated in excess. The cultivators of this world face great restrictions, whether in fighting or in the use of Pills, Talismans, Tools, and Formations. Even Corpse Resolution Cultivators cannot fight for too long or expend too much energy.

Otherwise, they risk a surge of demonic affliction.

It is for this reason that under the Corpse Resolution Sects, there lies a living space for various powers and Loose Cultivators.

Even the Corpse Resolution Sects with Nascent Souls and Divinity Transformations cannot withstand the rebellion of all the world’s cultivators if they were to burn both jade and common stones.

But this White Jade Capital…

Has a way with demon transformation and wages war against the world.

Even if various powers burn both jade and common stones, they still can’t pose a threat to them.

With this single technique, the White Jade Capital is pressuring this realm, and its dominance is unrivaled.

In light of this, Li Qiankun couldn’t help but feel fortunate that his master had reached an agreement with the Left Envoy of the White Jade Capital.

Otherwise, reigniting the flames of war would mean that although their Four Sects could hold on for a moment, in the end, they would be worn down by the other side and fall into the Demon Abyss.

But despite his gratitude, he still harbors some worries.

“Some sects indeed rebelled, but on the surface, they still submitted to the commands of the White Jade Capital.”

“Although it’s just a pretense, and they’ve maintained appearances, after all, they haven’t acted out of line. For him to break through mountains and temples like this… it’s a bit too much.”

Li Qiankun says solemnly, “Now the public is panic-stricken; everyone is worried. If things develop further, there’s no preventing a surge of public indignation. White Jade Capital might be able to suppress the whole world, but if pushed too far, it’s unpredictable whether another Yuwen Shang or another Corpse Blood Divine Monarch won’t arise.”

He voices his concerns.

Indeed, in this world tainted by demons, cultivators are powerless against the demon transformation techniques of White Jade Capital.

But what if, in desperation, I take the path of the Demon?

If I enter the Demon Path, what can you do then?

In extreme circumstances, will there be another Yuwen Shang, another Corpse Blood Divine Monarch?

None of this can be guaranteed.

Therefore, Li Qiankun worries that White Jade Capital will not be able to control the situation and fulfill the promises made to their Four Sects.

Ultimately, it might even create a mess, plunging everyone into a quagmire.

“Another Yuwen Shang?”

Meng Fuyao chuckles, “It’s not that easy. Excluding a few exceptions, most will likely go along with the methods of the White Jade Capital, at most just tangling with each other openly or in secret. It’s none of our concern.”

Hearing this, Li Qiankun can only bow his head, “It seems I have been unduly worried.”

As these words fell, they saw a five-colored radiance approaching from afar.

Amidst the multicolored lights, a divine beam shot directly towards the summit of Righteous Qi Peak.

With a smile, Meng Fuyao stepped onto a cloud, accompanied by Li Qiankun, and departed.

As the divine light descended, a figure emerged—it was none other than the Left Envoy of White Jade Capital—Kong Xuan!

“The promised arrival in three years, true to your word as expected, fellow Daoist!”

Meng Fuyao stepped forward, cupping his hands with a smile.

“Since a promise was made, it must be upheld.”

Xu Yang replied, “Where shall we set this meeting?”

Meng Fuyao answered with a laugh, “Let’s go and take a look.”

“Please!”

“Please!”

…

Three escape lights left the mountain gate together, speeding away into the distance.

The three cultivators had extraordinary cultivation. Their escape lights were incredibly fast, and they soon arrived at the destination.

From their high vantage point, they could see threads of demonic Qi twisting and turning in dark currents, faintly visible yet impenetrable to sight.

It was a demon realm, a demon realm that enveloped mountains and rivers.

“This is…”

“The ruins of the Mysterious Heaven Sect!”

Meng Fuyao spoke solemnly, “The Mysterious Heaven Sect, one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects of the Ancient Times. After the great war between immortals and demons of the ancient times, most of the ancient immortals ascended, leaving only a few to sacrifice themselves and stay in the mortal world to suppress the demonic turmoil, and one of them did so right here.”

“It is said that within the sect gates lies a forbidden place known as the Demon-locking Tower, one of the three great Immortal Artifacts of the Mysterious Heaven Sect. Inside the tower, a Heavenly Demon, several True Demons, and numerous malevolent demon objects are sealed.”

“After the ancient immortal passed away, no one was in control of the Demon-locking Tower, and its suppressing power gradually weakened, leading to a calamity that turned the location into a demon realm overnight, swallowing the whole Mysterious Heaven Sect and marking the beginning of the Dark Chaos.”

“After the creation of the Corpse Resolution Immortal Law, although the Dark Chaos was brought to an end, for such a death land, even Corpse Resolution cultivators with Nascent Souls and Immortal Artifacts in hand could do nothing, and were forced to leave it unattended, remaining there to this day…”

As Meng Fuyao narrated, Xu Yang observed carefully.

A moment later, he expressed his admiration, “Truly worthy of an Immortal Sect, indeed remarkable.”

“Its extraordinary nature is precisely what left a disaster for us today.”

Meng Fuyao replied with a bitter smile, “Not only does this place suffer from the demonic disaster leaking from the Demon-locking Tower, but also from the formations laid down by the Mysterious Heaven Ancient Immortal to protect the sect. The place is fraught with heavy restrictions and dangers at every step. Even though they have been tainted by Demonic Qi and worn by time, they still possess formidable power. Even for a Corpse Resolution Cultivator who doesn’t understand the principles of the Array Path, venturing inside would mean a nine-out-of-ten chance of death.”

Throughout his speech, he watched for Xu Yang’s reaction.

Choosing this location wasn’t about making things difficult, but rather about a lack of choice.

From ancient times to the present, over thousands and even tens of thousands of years, and in the midst of the Dark Chaos, numerous Corpse Resolution Cultivators had emerged.

Ravaged by war, eroded by time, how much of the ancient hidden treasures and secret treasures of Immortal Sects could still be dug up today?

Not much. Those ancient hidden treasures that were easier to uncover have mostly been excavated by predecessors, leaving only the hardest ‘bones’ to chew on—each one extremely perilous and terrifying.

This Mysterious Heaven Sect treasure was what he had specially selected based on his own and Xu Yang’s capabilities after meticulous choice.

“Compared to other ancient hidden treasures, while this place is dangerous, its primary peril lies in the Mountain Gate Array of the Mysterious Heaven Sect, an ancient restriction. The demons are suppressed by the Demon-locking Tower, with only a portion of their powers leaking out and not fully breaking the seal.”

“As long as one comprehends the principles of the Array Path and avoids triggering the central formation and the extremely strong restrictions, the risk will be significantly reduced.”

“Over the past million years, there have been no lack of Corpse Resolution Cultivators skilled in the Array Path who have ventured inside in search. And while most of them found little, they generally managed to escape with their lives.”

Meng Fuyao looked at Xu Yang, “Fellow Daoist is a Grandmaster of the Array Path, well-versed in the Five Elements. You could give it a try inside, and if it doesn’t work out, we can then proceed elsewhere.”

Clearly, the Five Elements and Five Spirits Demon Refining Array that emerged during the demon slaying battle three years ago had left a deep impression on him.

The Five Elements, the foundation of heaven and earth—among the three thousand Array Paths, the Five Elements Array stands at the top. While there are many fourth-tier Grandmasters of Array Path, those who understand the principles of the Five Elements are undoubtedly a cut above the rest.

In Meng Fuyao’s view, with Xu Yang possessing the Five Elements Spiritual Body and being a fourth-tier Grandmaster of Array Path, exploring these ruins could not be more suitable.

Xu Yang had no objections to this.

Although he had obtained many ancient legacies among Yuwen Shang’s relics, it was not enough to satisfy him.

A vast ocean of knowledge never ends. In terms of knowledge, Xu Yang is extremely greedy and insatiable.

That’s why he proposed this plan to appease Meng Fuyao and the other Corpse Resolution members of the Four Sects.

Appeasement was secondary; it was the ancient secret treasures that mattered most.

Cultivation Techniques!

Elixir Skills!

Talisman Skills!

Artifact Skills!

Formation Skills!

And not to mention ancient Spiritual Treasures and even Immortal Spirit Instruments.

This wasn’t just a graveyard—it was one treasure vault after another.

As long as he could unearth and absorb them, his power was bound to make a qualitative leap.

So, there was nothing to debate—it was time to dig!

Xu Yang looked at Meng Fuyao, “Will fellow Daoist stay here to watch over the area, or will you accompany me inside?”

Meng Fuyao replied with a light laugh, “Of course I will join fellow Daoist. To tell you the truth, I have long yearned for the Mysterious Heaven Sect.”

“Then let’s go!”

Hearing this, Xu Yang didn’t say more. He stepped through the void into the formation.

Behind him, with an Immortal Artifact in hand and as an authority of Divinity Transformation, Meng Fuyao also brimmed with confidence. He entered the formation with Li Qiankun in tow.