Seeking the Formation in the Blessed Land, Emperor Marks Return to the Heart
The lingering power of the Black Miasma Mountain Range had not yet dissipated. The residual aura of Heavenly Dao and the embers of demonic energy intertwined in the air, forming a pale gray mist that was swept up by the mountain breeze and scattered towards the horizon. As the wind passed through the treetops, it carried a faint, almost imperceptible, smell of burning flesh—the mark left by the Ninth Ancestor' Soul Devouring Curse Killing Technique, where a black pillar of light scorched the earth. On the ground, three scorch marks, each over a foot deep, snaked and spread like hideous scars. The charcoal-black soil was as hard as rock, crumbling at the touch of a fingertip, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding green vegetation that had been revitalized. Occasionally, tender yellow buds would struggle to emerge from the scorched earth at the edges of the marks, but the moment they touched the remaining demonic energy, they instantly lost their vitality, their leaves curling slightly and turning black, as if silently recounting the brutality and lingering fear of the battle between their souls, and confirming that the insidious Curse Killing Power had not yet dissipated.
Ren Xiaoyao withdrew the azure -Golden Spiritual Energy flowing around him, his fingertips gently tracing the Carefree Sword at his waist. The scabbard was made of a thousand-year-old paulownia tree passed down through the Qingfeng Valley. The wood had long been imbued with Spiritual Qi, making it as warm and smooth as jade. The flowing cloud patterns carved on it seemed to sense the weariness and mental fluctuations of its master, and even faintly emitted a warm, pale golden halo. That warmth spread from his fingertips to his heart, like the Warm Sun melting in spring, gradually dispelling the fatigue left by forcibly detonating his Emperor Power and resisting the Curse Killing Power, and also smoothing the fine cracks deep in his sea of consciousness that had not yet fully healed.
Having previously undergone the Heavenly Tribulation to temper his soul, he had, with Heavenly Dao Power help of the Heavenly Dao, completely solidified his early-stage Earth Immortal realm. His perception had also increased several times over; he could clearly detect even the subtle tremors of Spirit Vein a hundred miles away, the Inhale and Exhale of lurking Demon Beast, and even the movement of spiritual herbs absorbing nutrients. However, the Emperor Power Emperor Power his dantian was severely depleted. To resist the intrusion of the remnant soul mark into his dantian, he had forcibly detonated most of his Emperor Power, leaving him with less than 30% of it, and its flow was extremely sluggish. Even more troublesome was the presence of several wisps of lingering cursed chill in his meridians. This chill was sinister and bone-chilling, unlike ordinary demonic energy that could be dispelled by Spiritual Qi. With each flow of spiritual energy, the chill would travel along the meridians, condensing at the joints and meridian nodes, causing subtle stagnation and stinging pain, as if countless icy needles were gently pricking his meridians. The pain would intensify with the slightest activation of spiritual energy.
He gazed at the distant, mist-shrouded mountains, his brows furrowed slightly. His fingertips unconsciously traced the cloud patterns on the sword scabbard as he muttered to himself, "If I don't quickly find a place abundant with Spiritual Qi, free from any evil spirits, to meditate, I won't be able to digest the benefits of the Heavenly Tribulation. Instead, the cursed cold energy in my meridians will accumulate deeper and deeper, eroding my dantian foundation. If I encounter remnants of the Demon Realm realm in the future, or even face the Ninth Ancestor again, I fear I will have little chance of victory."
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and summoned the Qingxiao Jade Disc—a supreme treasure left behind by the ancient Kunlun Sect. Its surface was smooth and lustrous like solidified fat, with the ancient seal script characters "Qingxiao" engraved on the front and intricate purification runes on the back. Although it was slightly dimmed by a layer of gray mist from resisting demonic energy and protecting his soul, it still exuded an extremely pure spiritual energy that could easily isolate external evil spirits. The jade disc spun and grew larger in the air, transforming in a moment into a three-foot square light screen that emitted a soft yet resilient blue light, completely enveloping him and isolating him from the remaining demonic energy and cold air from the outside world.
With a light touch of his toes, his figure transformed into a streak of azure-gold light, speeding towards the depths of the mountains along the Spirit Vein he sensed in his sea of consciousness. Wherever the light passed, it stirred up a gentle breeze carrying Spiritual Qi energy, causing the spiritual herbs along the way to sway slightly, and dewdrops rolled off their leaves, refracting seven colors of light in the sunlight.
The scenery along the way became increasingly beautiful. At first, one could still see withered trees and broken branches contaminated by demonic energy, their bark cracked like the wrinkled skin of an old man, and their branches wrapped in gray-black Demonic Threads that rustled in the wind. A touch of the Demonic Threads would turn it into pungent ash. But halfway there, the scenery changed dramatically—everywhere one looked was lush with vegetation and blooming flowers. Various Spirit Flower dotted the verdant grass, including the "Moonheart Grass" with its petals gleaming with a cold silver light, which, when unfolded, resembled a miniature crescent moon and could absorb the power of the Moonlight Essence; and the "Dewdrop Flower" with its stamens glistening with dew, the dew containing pure Spiritual Qi that, when tasted, could transform into a wisp of spiritual power to nourish the dantian.
A gentle breeze stirred, causing petals to flutter down, leaving faint imprints of spiritual light on the ground that lingered for a long time. The Spiritual Qi in the air was so dense it was almost tangible; when inhaled, it felt as if sweet Spirit Dew slid down the throat into the dantian, transforming into wisps of spiritual power that nourished the depleted dantian, even easing the stagnation and stinging sensation in the meridians. Occasionally, pure white Spirit Butterflies flitted through the flowers, their wings shimmering with a faint spiritual light, scattering fine spiritual powder with each flap. Upon seeing his azure-golden light, they merely hovered for a moment before freely flying deeper into the flowers, without fear— the Spiritual Qi here was pure and untainted, devoid of any evil aura. The creatures here had long been accustomed to coexisting with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, and had little instinctive wariness towards the aura of cultivators.
About half an hour later, the clouds and mist ahead suddenly thickened, becoming a thick, white fog like boiling milk that permeated the mountains, impenetrable even to the midday sun. The sun could only cast a faint golden halo around the edges of the fog, dyeing it a soft, milky white. Within this fog, faint golden patterns of light flickered, shimmering like stars in the night sky, intertwining and entwining to form a vast net of light. This net created a natural barrier in the void, completely isolating the inner world from the outside world, preventing even a trace of Spiritual Qi from leaking out.
Ren Xiaoyao's heart stirred, and he quickly slowed down. The azure-gold light around him subsided, transforming into a pale blue figure that slowly landed outside the barrier. As soon as he landed, an extremely rich Spiritual Qi rushed towards him. The Spiritual Qi was warm and pure, carrying the fragrance of grass and Spirit Vein. It was more than ten times richer than the Spirit Vein he had seen along the way. The moment he inhaled it, the remaining Emperor Power in his dantian stirred slightly, like grass and trees that had been parched for a long time and were now eagerly craving more Spiritual Qi to nourish them.
"The Spiritual Qi here is so pure, and there is a natural barrier to keep out evil spirits. This must be the Blessed Land I've been looking for." A hint of joy flashed in his eyes. He then landed and focused his mind, condensing a wisp of his remaining Emperor Power at his fingertips. Although the Emperor Power was weak, it was extremely pure and radiated a warm golden light. He carefully extended the Emperor Power toward the cloud barrier, afraid of disturbing the world behind the barrier.
The moment the Emperor Power touched the barrier, the previously dormant golden patterns instantly lit up, shining like awakened stars. Following the trajectory of the Emperor Power, they slowly spread out to both sides, like spring snow meeting the Warm Sun, silently melting away to reveal an astonishing scene inside: vast stretches of spiritual herbs spread from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, seemingly without end. Interspersed among them were various spiritual spirit medicine, including Millennium Purple Lingzhi with a deep purple glow on its cap, the edges of which were edged with gold, clearly indicating that it had grown for over a thousand years; and Century Jade Ginseng with roots as lustrous as white jade, its tendrils wrapped with faint Spiritual Qi, which could be released with a gentle sway, emitting an aura that nourished the soul.
The dewdrops condensing on the leaves of the spirit herbs shimmered with a faint spiritual light. A gentle breeze blew, and the dewdrops slid down the leaves, landing in the fertile black soil. They created tiny ripples of Spiritual Qi as they fell. Where the ripples spread, the soil swelled slightly, and soon tender green shoots of spirit herbs broke through the soil, growing at a visible speed. In no time, they grew to about an inch in length, demonstrating the abundance of life in this place.
Several ancient trees, some over a thousand years old, stood amidst the spiritual herbs. Their trunks were so thick that it would take three or four people to encircle them, and their branches, gnarled and twisted like lurking dragons, stretched upwards. Their canopies, like giant green umbrellas, blocked out much of the sky. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled golden shadows that fell on the spiritual herbs on the ground, giving them a soft golden glow. In the tree hollows perched snow-white spiritual birds, their beaks and claws gleaming with a faint golden light, their feathers shimmering in the sunlight. Upon seeing someone intrude, they merely poked their heads out, their round, black eyes wide open, chirping twice at Ren Xiaoyao. Their voices were clear and melodious, like the clinking of jade, their Deities and mischievous. They showed no sign of being startled or fleeing; instead, they seemed to be curiously observing this uninvited guest. Several bolder birds even flapped their wings and landed on nearby branches, tilting their heads to observe his actions.
Even more surprising is the presence of a pure Spirit Vein surging beneath the ground. Visible pale blue Spiritual Qi flows through the soil like mountain streams, sometimes converging into a "Spirit River," sometimes branching into "Spirit Stream," flowing gently with the terrain, and finally gathering in the center of the Blessed Land to form a spiritual Spirit Spring shimmering with a pale blue halo. The Spirit Spring is about ten feet in diameter, and the water is crystal clear, revealing smooth, rounded blue boulders and swimming Spirit Fish at the bottom. These Spirit Fish are entirely transparent, except for their pale gold eyes. As they swim, they move with a light and agile gait, leaving behind tiny trails of Spiritual Qi with each swish of their tail fins. After these trails dissipate, they transform into wisps of Spiritual Qi that merge into the spring water, making the Spiritual Qi of the spring even more concentrated.
Tiny bubbles continuously emerge from the spring, each shimmering with a faint blue light. When they burst, they release a wisp of pure Spiritual Qi. This Spiritual Qi rises into the air, where it condenses into fine spiritual rain upon cooling, sprinkling down like cow's hair onto the surrounding spiritual herbs, nourishing their growth and making their spiritual light shine even brighter.
On a large blue boulder in the center of the spring, a rare "Soul Condensing Grass" grows—this grass is pale gold in color, with only three narrow leaves. The edges of the leaves shimmer with flowing golden light, as if Spiritual Qi circulates within them. At its tip grows a fruit the size of a pearl, from which light seems to swirl and emits a warm and peaceful aura. Inhaling it can instantly soothe the restlessness in one's mind and even alleviate most of the stinging sensation in one's meridians.
Ren Xiaoyao was overjoyed and quickened his pace. He had seen records of the Soul Condensing Grass in the ancient book <Spiritual Medicine Record> in Qingfeng Valley. This herb was a peerless treasure for repairing the soul and nourishing the Nascent Soul. It needed to grow in the eye of a thousand-year-old Spirit Vein, and there had to be no evil energy around it. It took a thousand years to mature, and even in Ancient Times, it was extremely rare. To find it here was an unexpected joy. With this Soul Condensing Grass, the cracks left in the depths of his sea of consciousness by the power of the Heavenly Tribulation and the Curse Killing Power could be healed quickly, and his soul could become more refined.
"What a blessed Blessed Land! It possesses such pure Spirit Vein and Soul Condensing Grass." Ren Xiaoyao's eyes flashed with genuine joy. He was about to step towards the Spirit Spring to pick the Soul Condensing Grass to repair his soul when a familiar tremor suddenly came from his sea of consciousness. The tremor did not come from the vitality of the spiritual grass, nor from the Spiritual Qi of the Spirit Vein, but from a resonance originating from the source of power and the depths of his soul. It was warm and profound, carrying an aura of majesty that surpassed all things. It perfectly matched the Ancient Emperor Power aura in his dantian, as if a supreme treasure of the same origin was calling to him from not far away across ten thousand years, causing his soul to tremble slightly. The Emperor Power in his dantian also became increasingly restless, as if it wanted to break through his dantian and surge towards the point of resonance.
He suppressed his excitement, stopped, slowly closed his eyes, formed the "Calm Heart Seal" with his hands, and focused on feeling the resonance. After a moment, he opened his eyes, his eyes filled with a determined light—the resonance came from the deep mountain valley of the Blessed Land, and as his perception deepened, the resonance became stronger and stronger, clearly indicating that a treasure of the same origin as the Emperor Power was hidden there.
Following the direction of the resonance, Ren Xiaoyao walked towards the mountain hollow deep within the Blessed Land. The deeper he went, the stronger the Emperor Power aura in the air became. At first, it was just a faint wisp, which could only be detected by concentrating one's mind. But as he approached the vicinity of the mountain hollow, the Emperor Power aura had become as tangible as it surrounded him, warm and heavy, enveloping his limbs and bones. It made the Emperor Power in his dantian more active, and the cursed coldness in his meridians also quietly dissipated under the nourishment of the Emperor Power aura.
The bluestone path beneath our feet gradually revealed blurry golden patterns. These patterns were carved into the surface of the bluestone, varying in depth and color. Some meandered and stretched like flowing clouds, some shone brightly like stars, and others were majestic and solemn like the patterns on Emperor Robe. They seemed to be man-made, yet they blended seamlessly with the surrounding vegetation and Spirit Vein, as if they had existed since the beginning of time, coexisting and prospering with this Blessed Land. Despite the erosion of thousands of years, they have not faded away in the slightest.
Upon reaching the entrance to the mountain pass, Ren Xiaoyao abruptly stopped, his breath catching in his throat—the scene before him shook him to his core, even the Spiritual Qi around him seemed to freeze in its flow: In the center of the pass, a square stone platform, about ten feet in size, stood silently. Its surface, polished smooth as a mirror by time and Spiritual Qi, was spotless, showing no trace of weathering even after ten thousand years. The platform was covered with intricate golden patterns, intertwined and layered, like a precise net or a diagram containing the mysteries of heaven and earth, ultimately forming a closed array in the center of the platform. Each node of the array shimmered with a faint golden light, as if pure Emperor Power circulated within it, never ceasing.
At the very center of the formation, three thumb-sized Emperor Mark Jade floated in the void. The pendants were golden in color and translucent, with flowing light seemingly swirling within them. They were engraved with Ancient Times Emperor Mark —patterns identical to those on the Emperor Power inheritance Classics he had obtained in the Secret Realm. As the patterns flowed, they emitted a warm yet majestic golden light, exactly like the Emperor Power aura within his dantian. Even from several meters away, one could feel the immense power contained within them. That power was steady and profound, carrying an Emperor's Might that had not dissipated even after ten thousand years of accumulation, instilling a sense of awe in those who did not speak of it, and even their souls trembled slightly under the shroud of Emperor's Might.
"This is... a fragment of the Great Emperor's Formation?" Ren Xiaoyao strode forward, stopping three feet in front of the stone platform. His fingertips trembled slightly as they hovered above the formation, not daring to overstep their bounds. As soon as his fingertips approached the formation, a powerful Emperor's Might emanated from them. Although it had been eroded by ten thousand years, this Emperor's Might was no longer as domineering and fierce as it had been at its peak, enough to crush a Nascent Soul cultivator. However, it still carried an aura of majesty that transcended the Heaven and Earth Laws, causing the spiritual energy around him to become stagnant.
This aura is exactly the same as the Ancient Great Emperor's mark he saw when he obtained the Emperor Power inheritance at the core of the Secret Realm —it is the majesty of High Antiquity emperor, a symbol of the power to control heaven and earth Protecting All Living Beings beings. This is clearly a fragment of the formation set up by Ancient Great Emperor!
He closed his eyes and focused his mind, rapidly recalling the Emperor Power Inheritance Classics, <The Imperial Dao Record>, which he had obtained in the Secret Realm. The Classics was written in High Antiquity script, its pages yellowed with age, yet perfectly preserved by Spiritual Qi. It not only recorded the cultivation methods of the Great Emperor but also elaborated on the profound mysteries of the Great Emperor ' formations. Among them was a record of the Great Emperor' formations: Ancient Great Emperor formations, using Emperor Power as a guide and Emperor Mark as a core, are both offensive and defensive, capable of gathering spiritual energy and nourishing the soul, and able to resist all evil influences. If one could subdue the complete formation, it would be enough to guard a region, withstand thousands of troops, and even contend with the arrival of the Demon Realm Supreme; even a fragment could be used to quickly restore cultivation, nourish the soul, and even assist cultivators in breaking through realm bottlenecks and resolving intractable problems in their cultivation.
However, the Great Emperor Formation is inherently domineering, containing the will and primordial power of Ancient Great Emperor. Even if ordinary cultivators find it, they will suffer a backlash from the Emperor's Might within the formation due to insufficient Emperor Power or incompatible bloodlines. At best, their meridians will be severed and their Soul Annihilation will plummet, turning them into cripples. At worst, their soul and spirit will be annihilated, leaving them with no chance of reincarnation. Only those who possess pure Ancient Emperor Power and have a sufficiently resilient soul to bear the Great Emperor's will can attempt to subdue it.
Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement and trepidation. He slowly sat cross-legged in front of the stone platform, adjusting his breathing to calm his spiritual energy and mind. He raised his hand and placed it on his dantian, feeling the scarce yet pure Emperor Power within. His fingertips quickly formed the "Qi Guiding Formula," slowly drawing out the remaining thirty percent of his Emperor Power, carefully transforming it into a thin golden thread—this thread condensed his purest Emperor Power and Soul Power at this moment, every inch radiating a warm yet resilient golden light. Even though it was only as thick as a hair, it contained a power that should not be underestimated.
He manipulated the golden thread, guiding it along the Emperor Power aura emanating from the formation, slowly probing towards the Emperor Mark Jade in the center. Every movement was made with utmost caution; he dared not be careless in the slightest—if he were to be devoured by the formation at this moment, given his current state of depleted Emperor Power and damaged meridians, he would likely be powerless to resist, and might even suffer the Soul Annihilation. Not only would he be unable to avenge his fellow disciples in Qingfeng Valley, but he would also be unable to fulfill his vow to protect the Mortal World.
The moment the golden threads touched the Emperor Mark Jade, the entire formation suddenly lit up! The golden patterns on the stone platform seemed to come alive, instantly breaking free from the constraints of the bluestone and transforming into streaks of vibrant golden light that rapidly spread along the threads towards his fingertips. Wherever those patterns passed, the lingering chill of the curse within his meridians was instantly dispelled, as if ice and snow had met a raging fire, turning into wisps of white mist carrying a fishy odor that dissipated into the air through his pores. The stagnation and stinging sensation in his meridians also vanished instantly, replaced by a warm Emperor Power that nourished his Damaged Meridians.
Even more awe-inspiring was the powerful Emperor's Might that surged into his sea of consciousness along the threads and patterns of his meridians, washing over his soul wave after wave. At first, this Emperor's Might was relatively gentle, as if testing the strength of his soul; but after a moment, Emperor's Might suddenly became fierce, like a gale in the dead of winter, carrying an irresistible majesty, constantly assaulting the barriers of his sea of consciousness, as if testing whether he was qualified to bear this power, whether he could shoulder the "protective" will contained within the Great Emperor's Formation.
Fortunately, having been tempered by the Heavenly Tribulation, his soul was no longer what it used to be. The Heavenly Tribulation lightning not only repaired the cracks in his sea of consciousness but also condensed his soul several times over, making the barrier of his sea of consciousness incredibly resilient. Even when faced with the impact of the Emperor's Might, it only trembled slightly without cracking. Ren Xiaoyao focused his mind and steadied himself, forming the "Soul Stabilizing Seal" with both hands. He allowed the Emperor's Might to wash over his sea of consciousness without resistance. Instead, he actively released the barrier of his soul, allowing the Emperor's Might to merge into the depths of his soul. He knew that this was the formation's ultimate test for him. Only by accepting the baptism of the Emperor's Might and acknowledging and bearing the Great Emperor's "protective" will could he gain the formation's approval and truly control this power.
At the same time, he increased the output of his Great Emperor power, allowing his own Emperor Power to flow into the formation along the golden threads, gradually merging with the Emperor Power in the formation. When the two Emperor Power of the same origin met, there was no repulsion. Instead, they were like two streams of water flowing into a river, gradually converging into one. The Emperor Power in the formation became more and more dynamic, and Ren Xiaoyao was able to perceive the formation's operating trajectory and profound meaning more clearly.
As the fusion deepened, the golden patterns within the formation became increasingly bright. The originally blurry patterns gradually became clear, and the direction of each Dao Patterns and the function of each node became clearly apparent.
Now, before you, it's as if you can personally touch the patterns and veins that carry the High Antiquity mysteries. Within those patterns and marks, there are fragments of the will of the Ancient Great Emperor when they set up the formation—the unwavering determination to Protecting All Living Beings, the fierce resolve to resist evil spirits, and the gentle warmth to nourish heaven and earth. These wills, connected by the Emperor Power, gradually flow into Ren Xiaoyao's sea of consciousness, resonating with his belief in "protecting humanity and avenging wrongs," deepening his understanding of the Great Emperor's formations and strengthening his resonance with them.