Fortuitous Encounter in the Cave Dwelling
Pulled by immortal power, the Black-Ice Archway slowly opened to both sides. As the hinges turned, the humming of Ancient Immortal Markings immortal patterns echoed like the sound of ancient bells and chimes, reverberating between the sea and the cave. The sound contained the weight of a thousand years, as if paying tribute across time to the inheritor with the immortal power left behind by the Emperor Donghua. A pure Immortal Sheen, a hundred times more potent than the outside world, rushed towards him. Ren Xiaoyao subconsciously took a deep breath, and the Pure Yang Immortal Energy in his dantian instantly trembled on its own. The tremor was not chaotic, but like seedlings that had been parched for a long time and then received rain, its roots stretched wildly, greedily absorbing this High Antiquity Spiritual Qi. More than a hundred acupoints around his body also opened slightly, like chicks eagerly awaiting food, actively responding to this High Antiquity immortal power that could nourish his Immortal Bone. Even his hair shimmered with a faint golden light as it was enveloped by the Spiritual Qi.
The moment Ren Xiaoyao stepped into the White Jade Cave Mansion, his pupils contracted sharply, and even his breathing slowed slightly—the entire cave was carved from a single piece of Ten Thousand Year Warm Jade. The naturally formed cloud patterns on the jade walls, nourished by immortal power, swirled with a pale golden halo like the rising sun. Each Dao Patterns seemed to contain the Heaven and Earth Rhythm and earth; upon closer inspection, one could see Spiritual Qi flowing slowly within the patterns, like miniature Spirit River. Occasionally, Spiritual Qi would overflow and land on the skin, transforming into wisps of warmth that seeped into the meridians. Even the fatigue lingering in his bones from the battle with the Nine Ancestor Projection instantly dissipated by more than half.
Even more astonishing is that every three feet along the jade wall is embedded a fist-sized "Heaven-Connecting Spirit Gathering Pearl." This High Antiquity treasure, even among the major sects of the Immortal Realm, would be considered a sect-protecting artifact. Yet, it is arranged like ordinary decorations. Each pearl autonomously draws upon the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, and the emitted Spiritual Qi converges into a visible "Spirit Mist Stream." The stream meanders through the cave, and when it passes the central jade pool, the tiny particles of light it splashes up are like stars falling into the water. When these particles touch the surface of the jade pool, they create ripples of pale gold, further spreading the Spiritual Qi to every corner of the cave.
The White Marble Altar deep within the cave was forged from "Cold Jade Marrow" from the Kunlun Mountain, mixed with Outer-Heaven Immortal Gold. The Cold Jade Marrow could maintain a constant temperature and condense qi, ensuring that the spiritual Spiritual Qi of the treasure would not be lost in the slightest; the Outer-Heaven Immortal Gold made the platform indestructible, so that even a full-force attack from Late-stage Golden Immortal cultivator could not leave the slightest mark on its surface. The surface of the platform was as smooth as a mirror, clearly reflecting the treasure floating above, and even the air seemed to be dyed a pale gold by the treasure's light, and one could feel the Spiritual Qi nourishing their meridians as they inhaled it.
The Glass Jade Plate on the left is crafted from High Antiquity deep-sea Glazed Ice from the East Sea. Its surface is translucent like ice, yet possesses a warm, jade-like luster. The rim is engraved with the "Treasure Protection Runes" of the Emperor Donghua, the runes shimmering with a faint light to prevent the Spiritual Qi of the treasure within from leaking out. Within the plate, Thousand-Year Snow Lotus blooms silently, its pale purple petals layered upon each other, like gemstones sculpted by divine power. At the edge of each petal rests a drop of crystal-clear "Snow Lotus Immortal Dew." This dew is no ordinary substance; the dewdrops are clearly visible... Reflecting the entire cave dwelling, upon closer inspection, one could even see wisps of Primordial Violet Qi flowing within—it not only cleanses all impurities from a cultivator's body, including the mixed energy accumulated during cultivation and the Sinister Power acquired during battles, but also imbues immortal power with "Spiritual Charm," making its circulation as fluid as water. Even Golden Immortal cultivator who consumes it can increase the precision of their immortal power control several times over, resulting in enhanced power and a nearly 30% increase in casting speed when using spells in the future.
The central Sandalwood Brocade Box exudes a faint, calming Sandalwood Incense Sandalwood Incense —not an ordinary scent, but a "Spirit-Calming Incense" naturally formed in thousand-year-old Rosewood nourished by immortal power. Inhaling it can soothe a cultivator's mind and prevent them from going astray during cultivation. The Brocade Box is crafted from thousand-year-old Rosewood, with the "Demon Slaying Runes" exclusive to the Emperor Donghua engraved on its surface. The runes shimmer with a pale golden light, capable of blocking all external forces from probing. Even Late-stage Golden Immortal cultivator attempting to probe with their spiritual sense will be repelled by the runes, and might even suffer a backlash from the Demon Slaying Power upon touching them.
Ren Xiaoyao lightly touched the Brocade Box with his spiritual sense, and the runes dispersed in response. The moment he opened the Brocade Box, an extremely pure Power of Life rushed out— the Nine-Turn Immortal Ganoderma Mushroom lay on the golden velvet, its nine jade-colored leaves arranged in sequence, the color gradually changing naturally from the light turquoise of the first leaf to the deep ink of the ninth. The surface of the leaves also shimmered with a faint luster, as if covered by a thin veil. On the top ninth leaf, a wisp of primordial Primordial Violet Qi lingered, slowly drifting like a ribbon. This Nine-Turn Immortal Ganoderma only grows one leaf every hundred years and takes nine hundred years to mature. It is a supreme treasure for stabilizing cultivation: even if Late-stage Golden Immortal cultivator consumes it, their foundation in cultivation will be as unshakable as a rock; when breaking through to a higher realm in the future, it can not only greatly reduce the probability of Heart Demon arising, but also reduce the risk of failure by 50%. It is a treasure that countless cultivators dream of.
At the very center of the stone platform, a fist-sized "Primordial Immortal Crystal" floated in mid-air. The Primordial Violet Qi within the crystal moved like a living thing—sometimes condensing into a sword shape that could cleave through the void, radiating a sharp, Demon Breaking Power; sometimes transforming into a lotus shape that could purify all things, releasing a gentle, nourishing aura. The Origin Power it emitted resonated with the Dragon Phoenix Origin within Ren Xiaoyao's body: the Dragon Phoenix Origin swirled within his dantian, actively surging towards the Primordial Immortal Crystal, as if yearning to merge with its Origin Power. This Primordial Immortal Crystal was the residual primordial energy left over from the World Creation. Containing the purest creative power, even a trace of it would cause an ordinary cultivator to explode and die from the violent impact of the Origin Power. Only those with a special physique, like Ren Xiaoyao, who have fused with the Dragon Phoenix Origin and Origin Power (the dragon being the bearer of Power of Nirvana, their combination neutralizing the Origin Power's ferocity) and cultivated the <Donghua Immortal Scripture> (Cultivation Method based on High Antiquity Origin Power that can guide Origin Power into oneself), can steadily improve under the nourishment of the Origin Power without being devoured by it.
Ren Xiaoyao did not rashly use the treasure. Instead, following the method of "using intention to control power and proceeding step by step" in the <Donghua Immortal Scripture>, he sat cross-legged on the futon in front of the stone platform. This futon was no ordinary object, but was woven from the High Antiquity "Cloud Silk Grass"—Cloud Silk Grass only grows in the Ancient Secret Realm rich in Spiritual Qi energy. The grass leaves contain a faint calming power. Sitting on it can instantly calm the mind and isolate one from all external interference, allowing the cultivator to devote himself wholeheartedly to cultivation. It can even automatically repair minor damage to the sea of consciousness during cultivation.
He closed his eyes, circulated his Pure Yang Immortal Energy, and let it flow slowly through his meridians, resonating with the Spirit Mist Stream within the cave like a stream. As the flow of immortal power gradually accelerated, the suspended Primordial Immortal Crystal suddenly trembled slightly. A wisp of Primordial Violet Qi within the crystal seemed to gain consciousness, emerging like a snake and slowly entering his sea of consciousness through his brow.
The moment that Origin Power entered the sea of consciousness, it displayed a gentle yet domineering characteristic—it did not directly impact the sea of consciousness like ordinary energy, but rather, like spring rain nourishing the fields, it slowly seeped into every corner of the sea of consciousness: the minor damage previously eroded by the Ninth Ancestor' Demonic Qi Erosion was rapidly repaired under the nourishment of the Origin Power; the vague spiritual perception in the sea of consciousness now became incredibly clear, and even the Spiritual Qi fluctuations of every spirit-gathering pearl in the cave, the subtle trembling of every snow lotus petal, and even the frequency of the ripples on the surface of the jade pool could be accurately captured.
Immediately afterwards, the purple qi flowed slowly into the dantian through the sea of consciousness, merging with the Pure Yang Immortal Energy and the dragon Dragon Phoenix Origin within. Instantly, the immortal power within the dantian, like a ignited furnace, began to boil violently—the originally nearly perfect immortal power was continuously compressed and purified, its color gradually changing from pale gold to translucent; the shackles of the Mid-stage Golden Immortal appeared with minute cracks under the continuous impact of this power, like an eggshell about to break, requiring only a little more force to completely break through.
Sensing the loosening of his cultivation level, Ren Xiaoyao no longer hesitated and reached out to pick up the Nine-Turn Immortal Ganoderma from the stone platform. The moment the mushroom touched his fingertips, it transformed into a warm, nourishing energy that flowed into his palm and quickly spread throughout his limbs and bones via his meridians. This energy, like a gentle stream, soothed the meridians that were slightly agitated by the boiling immortal power. The pale golden protective layer that originally covered the meridian walls became thicker and thicker under the nourishment of the energy, even faintly emitting the luster of Primordial Violet Qi, increasing the upper limit of immortal power that the meridians could withstand by several times. At the same time, the energy flowed into his sea of consciousness along the meridians, making his spiritual power more refined. In the past, he needed to concentrate all his mental energy to perceive spiritual Spiritual Qi a hundred miles away, but now he could clearly perceive it with just a thought, and the range of his spiritual sense had nearly doubled.
After fully absorbing the energy of the Nine-Turn Immortal Ganoderma, Ren Xiaoyao picked up the Glass Jade Plate and carefully dripped the "Snow Lotus Immortal Dew" from the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus into his brow. The moment the dew entered his body, it transformed into a cool energy, slowly seeping into his dantian along his sea of consciousness. This energy acted like the finest sieve, peeling away the minute impurities remaining in his Pure Yang Immortal Energy —impurities that even the Primordial Violet Qi couldn't remove. These impurities were the mixed forces accumulated during his previous cultivation. Although they didn't affect his daily cultivation, they reduced the purity of his immortal power, greatly diminishing the power of his spells. The moment the impurities were removed, they dissipated into a wisp of green smoke within his dantian. At this moment, his Pure Yang Immortal Energy was almost transparent, carrying a faint Primordial Violet Qi as it flowed. With each circulation, it could actively attract the surrounding Spiritual Qi to automatically converge, increasing its power by at least three times compared to before.
As the last wisp of Primordial Violet Qi merged into his dantian, Ren Xiaoyao abruptly opened his eyes. A flash of golden-white immortal light appeared in his eyes—two materialized beams of immortal light shot out from the depths of his eyes, landing on the hard, Ten Thousand Year Warm Jade wall, leaving two shallow marks. "Boom!" A deep rumble emanated from his dantian. The shackles of the Mid-stage Golden Immortal realm shattered completely under the impact of this power. His immortal power surged wildly like a flood bursting its banks: from the early to the mid- Mid-stage Golden Immortal realm, and then to the late stage, the entire process took only an instant. The speed at which immortal power flowed through his meridians was several times faster than before, and the golden-white immortal light surrounding his body became even more dazzling. Even the Spirit Mist Stream within his cave were stirred, transforming into a huge Spiritual Energy Vortex that swirled around him, continuously injecting Spiritual Qi into his body like a silkworm cocoon, helping him stabilize his newly broken-through realm.
Half an incense stick later, Ren Xiaoyao slowly finished his practice, and the immortal light around him gradually subsided. He felt the pure Pure Yang Immortal Energy filling his dantian—not only had the total amount of immortal power increased significantly, but its purity had also reached an unprecedented level; the Primordial Violet Qi flowing through his meridians acted like a lubricant, allowing the immortal power to circulate without any stagnation. A confident smile appeared on his lips: at this moment, his strength far surpassed that of ordinary Late-stage Golden Immortal cultivators. In the past, he had to be cautious when facing Early-stage Golden Immortal cultivators, but now he could even fight against opponents at the peak of the Late-stage Golden Immortal realm, and was even confident that he could suppress them with the Demon Breaking Power of the Demon Slaying Sword.
As he stood up, Ren Xiaoyao's gaze fell on a cyan jade slip on the stone platform. This jade slip was made from High Antiquity "Azure Jade Stone," and its texture was incredibly hard, capable of withstanding a full-force attack from Late-stage Golden Immortal cultivator without breaking. The jade was engraved with the Demon Slaying Runes of the Emperor Donghua, which could effectively prevent others from peeping into or tampering with the contents of the jade slip. Even if the jade slip fell into the hands of an enemy, the other party would not be able to obtain the information within.
He reached out and picked up the jade slip, slowly probing it with his spiritual sense—the jade slip contained the Emperor Donghua's profound control over the "Demon Slaying Sword": not only how to use the Primordial Violet Qi to activate the "Demon-Slaying Array Patterns" hidden within the sword, increasing its Demon Breaking Power tenfold; but also the method of "Drawing on Heaven and Earth’s Immortal Sheen" in battle—capable of using the surrounding Spiritual Qi to form an indestructible defensive barrier to withstand the full-force attacks of Late-stage Golden Immortal cultivators; and even the ability to transform Spiritual Qi into Sword Qi containing Demon Breaking Power, enabling ranged attacks and achieving "the sword energy arriving before the Sword Qi."
Even more precious was the accompanying video footage of Emperor Donghua using the Demon Slaying Sword- Slaying Sword to slay 100,000 demon soldiers: In the video, Emperor Donghua stood atop a cloud, wielding the Demon Slaying Sword. Each swing unleashed a several-foot-long Demon-Breaking Sword Qi that cleaved through the demon army in droves; every movement of his immortal power was precise and without the slightest waste; and the timing of each formation activation was perfect, maximizing the power of the Demon Slaying Sword. The video was crystal clear, as if the Emperor himself had taught him, instantly deepening Ren Xiaoyao's understanding of the Demon Slaying Sword several times over—the previously obscure sword techniques were now illuminated like a bright lamp, becoming crystal clear.
After storing the jade slip in his Storage Ring, Ren Xiaoyao carefully put away the remaining Thousand-Year Snow Lotus and Heaven-Reaching Spirit -Heaven-Connecting Spirit Gathering Pearl. The petals of the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus could be used to refine "Snow Lotus Pill" to help cultivators break through their cultivation realms; the Heaven-Connecting Spirit Gathering Pearl could be used to set up "Spirit Gathering Formation" to accelerate cultivation. These heavenly materials and earthly treasures would be excellent aids for his own cultivation or as gifts to potential allies, adding to his confidence in dealing with the Demon Realm calamity a hundred years from now. After doing all this, he picked up the Demon Slaying Sword and turned to walk out of the cave.
As soon as he stepped out of the Black-Ice Archway, three unfamiliar fluctuations of Spiritual Qi emanating from the sea alerted him. One of these fluctuations reached the Early-stage Golden Immortal, while the other two were at the Late-stage Profound Immortal, and all carried obvious hostility—like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, they were watching him, their "prey," intently, waiting for the right moment to strike. Ren Xiaoyao stopped and looked up, only to see three cultivators dressed in green robes hovering not far from the sea. Their robes were embroidered with a Azure Cloud Sect pattern, clearly indicating they were from the Qingyun Sect.
The Qingyun Sect is a low-ranking sect in the Immortal Realm, making a living by bullying Rogue Cultivator and robbing them of their Cultivation Resources. They have a terrible reputation: they have ambushed Rogue Cultivator who have just emerged from the Secret Realm many times, stealing their treasures; they even deliberately destroy the cultivation sites of Rogue Cultivator, forcing them to Rogue Cultivator over their resources. In the cultivation circle, the Qingyun Sect is already infamous, and mentioning this sect will make everyone show a look of contempt.
The three cultivators formed a triangle, subtly surrounding Ren Xiaoyao. Their eyes were filled with undisguised greed—they were fixed on the Demon -Demon Slaying Sword in his hand, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. Their breathing became rapid, and they even forgot to conceal their hostility. The leader of the cultivators even subconsciously licked his lips, clearly already considering the Demon Slaying Sword as his own.
"Ren Xiaoyao, hand over the inheritance and the Demon Slaying Sword you obtained in the cave!" The leading green-robed cultivator stepped forward, his voice filled with unquestionable arrogance. He was Zhao Feng, Personal Disciple of the Qingyun Sect Master, and was highly respected within the sect, never taking rogue Rogue Cultivator without a sect seriously. He looked at Ren Xiaoyao, his eyes full of contempt. "This Penglai Secret Realm was discovered first by my Qingyun Sect, so the fortuitous opportunity within naturally belong to my Qingyun Sect. You, a rogue Rogue Cultivator without a sect, do you deserve to possess such a treasure? If you know what's good for you, hand it over voluntarily, otherwise, don't even think about leaving this sea area alive today!"
Ren Xiaoyao sneered inwardly. Having just broken through to the Late-stage Golden Immortal, he was looking for an opponent to test his strength, and these three had practically delivered themselves to his doorstep. He gripped the Demon Slaying Sword tightly, and the pure Yang immortal power in his dantian slowly flowed into the sword. Instantly, the Demon Slaying Sword emitted a silvery-white Demon-Bane halo, and a faint Primordial Violet Qi swirled around the edge of the blade. Pure Yang Immortal Energy that could annihilate evil and purify all things emanated from the sword, enveloping the three Qingyun Sect cultivators.
The oppressive aura was like an invisible giant wave, causing the three cultivators to pause slightly. Zhao Feng, the leader, paled and his eyes flashed with shock. He hadn't expected that this seemingly ordinary Rogue Cultivator could exude such terrifying pressure! This pressure was even stronger than that of an elder who had cultivated for hundreds of years in the sect, making him instinctively want to retreat, and even the hand holding his sword began to tremble slightly.
"Qingyun Sect?" Ren Xiaoyao's voice was icy, filled with disdain. "It's just a third-rate sect in the Immortal Realm, surviving by bullying Rogue Cultivator. How dare you try to steal my things? Today I'll show you that not just anyone has the right to covet my fortuitous opportunity." As soon as he finished speaking, immortal power surged beneath his feet, and his figure instantly transformed into a golden-white streak of light, shooting towards Zhao Feng, who was leading the group, like an arrow released from a bow.
This is the "Flowing Cloud Steps" recorded in the Donghua Immortal Scripture. It is driven by Pure Yang Immortal Energy and is several times faster than ordinary Movement Method. It leaves afterimages in the air, making it difficult for people to catch the real trajectory. When the movement technique is in operation, it can also use the surrounding Spiritual Qi to accelerate. Even in places where the Spiritual Qi is thin, it can maintain an extremely fast speed. It is an excellent Movement Method for dealing with group battles or surprise attacks.
Seeing this, Zhao Feng's expression changed slightly, but he dared not show weakness. He knew that if he retreated now, he would not only lose the opportunity to obtain the Demon Slaying Sword, but also lose face in front of his two junior brothers. He suddenly summoned a cyan longsword, his Natal Magic Treasure, named "Azure Cloud Sword," which had accompanied him in his cultivation for decades. The sword was surrounded by the immortal power of the Early-stage Golden Immortal, and it slashed towards Ren Xiaoyao with a sharp aura.
A cyan longsword sliced through the air, leaving a cyan sword mark. The sword's wind carried with it a faint, almost transparent poisonous mist—a sinister technique of the Qingyun Sect, the sword coated with "Corrupting Immortal Poison." This poison specifically corrodes a cultivator's immortal power; once contaminated, the immortal power quickly becomes disordered, rendering the cultivator power incapable of fighting and leaving them helpless. Qingyun Sect cultivators have repeatedly used this poisonous mist to defeat stronger opponents and seize many treasures from Rogue Cultivator.
Just as the two swords were about to collide, the Demon Breaking Power on the Demon Slaying Sword suddenly erupted—a silvery-white halo surged out like a tide, instantly shattering the immortal power and the Corrupting Immortal Poison on the cyan longsword: the immortal power was transformed into specks of spiritual light and dissipated under the impact of the Demon Breaking Power; the Corrupting Immortal Poison was purified by the Demon Breaking Power, leaving not even a trace.
With a crisp cracking sound, Zhao Feng's Azure Cloud Sword, like fragile Glazed Ice, shattered in two before the Demon Slaying Sword. Faint wisps of blue smoke rose from the broken pieces, clearly indicating it had been completely purified by the Demon Breaking Power, leaving no possibility of repair. The Demon Slaying Sword, its remaining power undiminished, gleamed with a silvery-white Demon-Bane aura, and continued its slash towards Zhao Feng's chest.
Zhao Feng's expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with fear. He tried to retreat and dodge, but found himself already locked in place by the oppressive power of the Demon Slaying Sword -Slaying Sword—his body was as if nailed to the spot, unable to move an inch. Even his spiritual sense was suppressed, preventing him from mobilizing his immortal power for defense. "Pfft!" The silver-white blade sliced across his chest, bringing with it a blinding cloud of blood mist. Zhao Feng screamed in agony as his body plummeted towards the sea like a kite with a broken string.
He fell into the sea and struggled to get up, only to find that the immortal power in his dantian was completely disordered— the Demon Breaking Power was still eroding his meridians, making it impossible for him to mobilize even a trace of immortal power; blood kept gushing from the wound on his chest, staining the surrounding seawater red, and his aura instantly weakened, clearly indicating that he had lost his fighting ability.
The other two Late-stage Profound Immortal cultivators turned pale with fright when they saw their leader, Zhao Feng, severely injured in a single blow. They dared not linger and turned to flee into the distance. They knew that the strength of this Rogue Cultivator far exceeded their expectations, and staying would only lead to certain death—even Zhao Feng, a Early-stage Golden Immortal, was no match for him, let alone the two of them who were Late-stage Profound Immortal cultivators.
The two hastily summoned their flying magic Law Treasure —a pair of azure wings crafted from "Azure Luan Feathers." The wings glowed faintly with spiritual light when unfolded, allowing for extremely fast flight; they were a common magic Law Treasure used by the Qingyun Sect disciples when venturing out. They frantically poured their immortal power into the wings, wanting only to escape the sea area as quickly as possible, even disregarding Zhao Feng who had fallen into the water—at this moment, survival was paramount in their hearts, and the bonds of brotherhood had long been cast aside by fear.