Kunlun Immortal Realm

Got it, I forgot the cola was thrown to him!

Mo Chuan was a bit speechless. Just as he was about to explain, Wei Lai brought the bottle to his lips and tilted his head back to drink.

As soon as the cola hit his mouth, his expression changed slightly. The sensation exploding on his taste buds was a marvelous flavor he had never experienced in his life.

It was cold and sweet, directly stimulating his nostrils.

Wei Lai put down the cola in surprise, thinking, If only Master could drink this.

Or maybe I should shamelessly ask for one to take back for Master to try?

"I say, did a donkey kick your brain? The person ran off, why did you come back?"

A complaint interrupted Wei Lai's wandering thoughts.

"Life is like dew, one must know right from wrong! If I had just left, what would be the difference between me and a bird or beast?"

Wei Lai put down the cola and replied with a serious expression.

Mo Chuan was speechless.

Though his life was short, he had met many people. He had seen his share of do-gooders, but someone who could resolutely and generously face death under the threat of it, honestly, he had never seen before.

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask where this is?" Wei Lai asked curiously.

"Where do you think this is?" Mo Chuan asked meaningfully.

Upon hearing this, Wei Lai carefully observed his surroundings, instinctively walking towards the brightest point of light.

That was the rooftop.

Before he got close, his pupils constricted.

Beyond the clear glass mirror, exquisite pavilions rose like carved mountain peaks.

What's more, they were entirely like crystal, shining brilliantly under the sun.

With his cultivator's eyesight, he could even see wisps of smoke from human habitation between three to five windows.

This scene deeply shocked Wei Lai. Just as he was about to step forward for a closer look...

Suddenly, his expression changed drastically.

He felt a colossal force emanating from heaven and earth, violently compressing and tearing at his body.

"Fellow Daoist, why do I feel like between heaven and earth..."

Wei Lai asked in astonishment, but before he could finish, the world suddenly went black.

He faintly heard a sigh.

"This place truly doesn't welcome outsiders..."

Outsiders?

As Wei Lai's mind was filled with confusion, his vision quickly returned to normal, but those strange structures had vanished.

In their place was a desolate mountain.

Looking around, where was Daoist Ming Chen?

"Did I... return?"

As Wei Lai's mind trembled, he suddenly felt something strange in his chest. He took it out to see, and it was the mother-child talisman his master had given him, glowing hot.

He quickly activated it and waited on the spot.

Not long after, a sika deer suddenly walked out from the bushes in the wilderness.

"What happened? Why is the Propitious Saint True Lord Talisman broken?"

The sika deer stared at Wei Lai and actually spoke human words!

Wei Lai knew this was his master using the Divine Movement Technique to project his spirit, travel a thousand miles, and possess the deer. He quickly cupped his hands and bowed:

"Disciple Wei Lai greets Master! Replying to Master, not long ago, I encountered a thousand-year flying zombie in the area of Tuoyun Mountain in Jiang City..."

"A thousand-year flying zombie? No wonder the Propitious Saint True Lord Talisman shattered!"

The sika deer exclaimed in shock, circling Wei Lai and examining him. Seeing his disciple unharmed, it finally breathed a sigh of relief:

"What exactly happened, tell me quickly." The sika deer urged.

"Yes!"

Wei Lai quickly recounted his encounter with Mo Chuan from beginning to end.

He summarized his experiences with the ghost marriage, the nabo, the hidden coffin, and even the extremely inauspicious location, but when it came to visiting Lord Black Armor, he described every detail.

He tried his best to recall Mo Chuan's every move.

A master knows their disciple best. The sika deer, knowing Wei Lai's nature, listened attentively.

"...As soon as that thousand-year flying zombie appeared, it uttered the word 'Kunlun.' Then Daoist Ming Chen advised me to leave, stating he had a way to escape."

"I was captivated by the flying zombie, felt a desire to cling to life, and fled in a panic."

Wei Lai spoke, his face tinged with shame, yet he met his master's gaze, continuing to lay bare his heart:

"Shortly after escaping the village, I realized my words and actions were inconsistent, disgracing the sect. I felt no different from wild beasts, so I turned back and returned to the village."

"Just as I entered, I saw the thousand-year flying zombie attempting to drain Ming Chen's vitality. Enraged, I unleashed the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman."

"Unexpectedly, the thousand-year flying zombie's physical body was astonishingly resilient, showing no fear of the lightning talisman. It charged forward, and the Propitious Saint True Lord Talisman shattered into dust at that moment."

I thought my end had come. Just as I was about to perform a corpse-reversal to escape with my Emerging Yin Spirit, the world spun, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself in a… mysterious chamber!

"A chamber?"

Even with his master's composure, Wei Lai's master exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this.

"Yes, a chamber!"

"The chamber was about ten feet high and forty feet wide. It had strings of crystal beads. Directly in front of me was a black mirror, reflective enough to see oneself. In the center was a table with writing brushes, ink, yellow paper, and tattered talismans scattered about. Scrolls of Daoist scriptures lay piled on the floor."

Wei Lai closed his eyes, his fingers pointing as if to recall the completely unfamiliar environment.

"About two zhang to my left was a silver-gray profound iron cabinet. Within, a faint glow pulsed, and a chilling aura spewed forth. Ming Chen took out two bamboo-joint-shaped containers from it, drank one himself, and gave me one."

"The bamboo-joint container was crimson, perfectly smooth and cool to the touch, with no visible seams, seemingly made of profound iron. It had a circular ring-shaped aluminum pull tab. Pulling it revealed a small opening. Ming Chen called it Cola..."

"When I opened it, a dark brown liquid surged out..."

"Upon drinking it, I felt a cool sweetness, my spirit revitalized, my whole body refreshed, and a crisp sensation shot straight up my nostrils."

"..."

"I asked Ming Chen what this place was."

"Ming Chen smiled and asked me what I thought it was."

"I followed the light to a glass platform. Gazing into the distance, I realized I was in a skyscraper hundreds of feet tall. Outside the building, square jade pavilions stood in rows, with windows but no doors, all adorned with glass and crystal decorations. There was also a colossal structure, entirely like crystal, which shone brilliantly under the sun, impossible to look at directly!"

"As I was about to ask again, I suddenly felt the world maliciously twist and tear at me. When I regained my senses, I was already in this desolate mountain area."

Wei Lai described it with all the eloquence he could muster, gesturing animatedly when he reached the exciting parts.

After finishing, he finally opened his eyes and looked at his master with anticipation.

"Master, what place was that?"

The elk remained silent, falling into a long contemplation. After a while, it slightly parted its mouth and said, "If I'm not mistaken, that might be the legendary Kunlun Immortal Realm!"

Wei Lai's eyes widened in astonishment.

He then heard his master continue, "From your description, that place is truly bizarre and wondrous, resplendent and magnificent! Though I am well-traveled, I have never heard of such a mystical place."

"That thousand-year flying zombie also mentioned Kunlun. It seems it has already glimpsed something!"

"Most importantly, when the Propitious Saint True Lord Talisman shattered, I sensed I couldn't activate the Mother-Child Talisman. Using the Heavenly Deduction Technique to deduce, you had already leaped beyond the Three Realms and was outside the Five Elements."

"What? I was... outside the Three Realms and Five Elements just now?" Wei Lai exclaimed in shock.

"Precisely! All of this points to only the legendary Kunlun Immortal Realm being a match! Even if it wasn't the Kunlun Immortal Realm, it's likely an immortal's grotto-heaven opened using the Pot of Heaven technique."

The elk let out a long sigh, its mind plunged into immense shock.

"I... I accidentally stumbled into an immortal realm?"

Wei Lai felt as if struck by lightning, his heart surging with emotions he couldn't quell.

"But... if that was the Kunlun Immortal Realm, then who is Ming Chen?"

"From your description, that world had countless buildings, and even dazzling crystal skyscrapers. Yet, Ming Chen was content in a corner, with only one spacious room filled with yellow paper, tattered talismans, and Daoist scriptures. He must be an immortal child."

"His descent into the mortal world could be to observe the people, to gain experience, or perhaps he has important duties under the instruction of an immortal."

The elk sighed suddenly at this point:

"I've always disliked your simple and honest nature, so I let you venture into the world for tempering. I never expected that very nature would save your life!"

"Since that thousand-year flying zombie recognized Kunlun, it definitely won't let you go. Just because it isn't pursuing you doesn't mean it can't kill you. Yet, you returned and fell into the immortal child's sight, gaining entry into the immortal realm. Truly... every action has its consequence! A pity..."

"A pity for what?" Wei Lai quickly pressed.

"A pity that you didn't bring back a single scroll from all those Daoist scriptures scattered on the ground," the elk said with regret.

"Ming Chen protected my life, how could I..."

Before Wei Lai could finish, his expression suddenly fell: "...If I had shamelessly asked, Ming Chen might have actually gifted me a scroll."

The elk glanced at its disciple and teased, "Regretting it?"

Wei Lai remained silently sullen.

A deep sense of regret, absent even when facing the thousand-year flying zombie, now grew and spread within him.

Those Daoist scriptures seemingly piled carelessly beneath the table might have been supreme profound Daoist magic. If he could have obtained just one, longevity might have been within reach!

So many people sought such an immortal destiny in vain, and he had missed it. Even with his simple and honest nature, at that moment, he regretted it immensely!

—Being simple and honest didn't mean he was foolish.

"Regret is useless. Wait here. Once my true form arrives, we'll go confront that thousand-year flying zombie! Since Ming Chen is an immortal child, perhaps he'll invite his senior fellow disciples to help subdue the demon."

After speaking, the spirit in the elk's eyes suddenly vanished.

It stared blankly at Wei Lai, who had suddenly appeared before it, and fearfully bolted away.

Wei Lai watched the startled elk flee, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

The thousand-year flying zombie was still out there, and his immortal destiny was not lost!