Emerging from Seclusion! Lingering Yin Souls! Old Acquaintances Meet Again, Words Fail

The timeframe for the Four Realms is sixty days after the great battle between the Spirit Transformation that took place in the Mingyun Mountain Range of the North and South Realms.

High in the sky near Fengwu Workshop in the Eastern Region, a magnificent and vast aura emerged from the depths of the clouds.

Then, deep within the clouds, two beams of spiritual light flashed, and the vast aura quickly dissipated, leaving only two faint spiritual powers, one strong and one weak.

In the clouds, Chen Dengming, dressed in an ordinary blue robe, was covered with a layer of subtle spiritual light. He floated quietly, and the surrounding clouds were repelled by his powerful aura before they could even get close.

Beside him, Qiao Zhaoxian's aura was much weaker. He shook his head and sighed, "Old Chen, my Sect Leader Chen, you are still a cut above the rest. Not only did you advance to the Nascent Soul this time, but you also comprehended the Dao of Destiny."

I am far inferior to you. Let alone comprehending the Dao of Longevity, my cultivation level has only just broken through to the Golden Core Perfection stage. Breaking through to the Nascent Soul will require even more grinding.

Chen Dengming glanced at Qiao Zhaoxian and laughed, "Old Qiao, saying such discouraging things doesn't seem like your style."

Moreover, as I said, I benefited from favorable Heavenly Timing. Although it seems that I have cultivated for sixty days like you, I have actually cultivated for sixty years.

In sixty years, I broke through from the Golden Core Perfection to the Nascent Soul, and then, by sheer luck, comprehended a Dao of Destiny. Is that too much to ask?

"Even if you Qiao Zhaoxian still wouldn't be able to break through to the Nascent Soul or comprehend the Dao of Longevity?"

"How could that be?"

Qiao Zhaoxian her head.

He still possessed arrogance and confidence, after all, he was a Heavenly Pride Dao Child, a genius of unparalleled talent.

If I were to receive the same sixty years of Heavenly Timing as Chen Dengming, I am confident that I would be able to break through and comprehend the Dao of Longevity.

But the key point is that he is a Dao Child of the Tiandao Sect, and therefore has no access to favorable Heavenly Timing or resources.

"Your Longevity Sect is truly fortunate; you even have resources like Heavenly Timing to provide you with."

Qiao Zhaoxian a pang of envy.

Chen Dengming asked curiously, "Could it be that your Tiandao Sect Dao Child don't have similar or corresponding benefits?"

Qiao Zhaoxian his eyes and puffed out his chest. "How could that be? Our Tiandao Sect's Dao Child can directly receive the Heavenly Dao Power into their bodies, forcibly breaking through cultivation bottlenecks and greatly shortening cultivation time."

He then became smug again, "So, when you calculate it this way, the time your cultivation time was shortened by the Heavenly Timing is not much different from the time we shortened after breaking through the bottleneck through the Heavenly Dao Infusion."

However, I have reserved all opportunities for the infusion of the Heavenly Dao for the Nascent Soul stage."

After saying that, seeing that Chen Dengming's expression was calm and unmoved, Qiao Zhaoxian smiled and said, "How about it? My plan worked out pretty well, didn't it?"

Chen Dengming realized what was happening, and an expression of amazement appeared on his calm face. "Indeed, it's quite impressive. I didn't expect your Tiandao Sect to have such benefits."

He said these words, but his heart remained completely unmoved.

Are there bottlenecks in spiritual practice?

Do you?

He had never encountered any bottlenecks in his cultivation journey, and had never experienced what it was like to encounter one.

Fortunately, the Longevity Sect's Dao Child's benefit was not a Heavenly Dao initiation, but rather Heavenly Timing; otherwise, it would have been completely useless to him.

"In truth, whether it's the Heavenly Timing or the initiation of the Heavenly Dao, they are merely manifestations of the most powerful aspects of lifespan, and both belong to the realm of Celestial Immortals."

Qiao Zhaoxian looked at Chen Dengming and smiled meaningfully, "I think if we have a voice in the future, why don't we try to persuade the First Ancestor to also have some interaction with the opportunity of the Heavenly Timing and the Heavenly Dao's empowerment?"

Chen Dengming smiled upon hearing this, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. The Heavenly Dao Initiation that broke through the bottleneck was of no use to him. After the exchange, he would have even fewer Heavenly Timing Resources, which would be more harmful than beneficial.

Qiao Zhaoxian pouted, "Judging from your expression, you don't seem very interested?"

Whether it's the Heavenly Timing or the initiation of the Heavenly Dao, the higher one 'Strength Realm, the less effective it becomes, and the more immortal Immortal Power resources it requires. You don't think that you can still make good use of Heavenly Timing right timing when you become stronger in the future, do you?

"Oh?"

Chen Dengming raised an eyebrow; this was the first time he had heard of such a situation.

However, he had heard the First Ancestor mention that shaping the Heavenly Timing environment required a great deal of Immortal Celestial Dao Power.

Therefore, each generation of Dao Child can only receive some support and cultivation from the Heavenly Timing resources after breaking through each small realm.

The Immortal Celestial Dao Power consumed in shaping the Heavenly Timing environment can be directly supplied to the Dao Child for absorption.

Consuming some of it means that the share of Immortal Celestial Dao Power available for Dao Child to absorb will be squeezed, so it naturally needs to be controlled.

Furthermore, it can be foreseen that the stronger one's strength, the more Heavenly Timing one will consume, and the more lifespan one will also lose.

Unless one has a lifespan as long as his, or is still young like Qiao Zhaoxian, most cultivators will not have a great need for this unless absolutely necessary.

Regarding Qiao Zhaoxian's eager anticipation and needs, Chen Dengming said that he would put in a good word for him with the First Ancestor in the future.

Whether or not they ultimately agree depends on the attitude of their own ancestor.

After all, Old Qiao was a brother who had been through life and death with Chen Dengming, so Chen was willing to help him if he could.

However, even brothers should keep clear accounts. Even if Old Qiao really gets the opportunity to enjoy the Heavenly Timing, the Immortal Celestial Dao Power needed to create the Heavenly Timing environment should be the responsibility of the Tiandao Sect and should not be used to occupy the Dao Power resources of the Longevity Sect.

During their conversation, the two had already used their respective methods to ascertain the safety situation in their surroundings.

Under the observation of the Heavenly Eye, Chen Dengming discovered that there were cultivators fighting five or six hundred miles away. There were quite a few of them, and the commotion was huge. There were even Golden Core Cultivator fighting.

Judging from their robes, some of them were cultivators from the Five Elements Escape Sect, while the other side in the fight appeared to be cultivators from the Northern Spirit Sect and the Five Elements Sword Sect.

"I didn't expect that in just sixty days, our battle lines would have already been pushed this far. It seems that we are not far from recovering the entire Eastern Region."

Qiao Zhaoxian had also observed the battle situation with his Divine Sense. With a casual grab, the Tiandao Square Halberd condensed and appeared in his palm, ready to join the battle.

"Um?"

Chen Dengming's expression suddenly changed, and a smile appeared on his lips. He said, "Old Qiao, we've run into an old acquaintance this time."

"Oh?" Qiao Zhaoxian an eyebrow. "Who is it?"

"Take a closer look and you'll see."

Qiao Zhaoxian scanned the area carefully with his Divine Sense and suddenly burst into laughter.

"So it was him!"

He suddenly exerted force with his palm and instantly hurled the Tiandao Square Halberd in his hand.

Boom--

Fang Ji was like a blazing black lightning bolt, instantly tearing through the clouds. The blade scraped against the air at high speed, whistling as it flew away, covering dozens of miles in an instant, with Qiao Zhaoxian's figure following closely behind.

Chen Dengming calmly took out the Soul Guiding Banner, and with a sudden shake, summoned the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun.

"Gah!"

The moment the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun emerged from inside the banner, he let out a bark that sounded fierce but was actually incredibly comical.

It was tall and strong, with an incredibly robust and enormous physique, standing at least ten feet tall. Its body was writhing with dark, sinister lightning that moved like snakes, emanating a suffocating, eerie, and ferocious aura.

His face was full of fierce features, and his hands, like iron pincers, crawled out from inside the banner, making the surrounding temperature seem to drop to a chill.

However, the moment he turned his head and saw Chen Dengming beside him, he seemed to have found his master. The ferocity in his eyes lessened considerably, and a familiar and special light of wisdom appeared. He grinned and said, word by word, not very skillfully.

"Brother Chen, Dao, Brother."

Hearing this long-unheard form of address, Chen Dengming's eyes lit up with a smile, and he nodded, saying, "Old Zhu!"

These brothers in the banner had previously absorbed a portion of the power of Nascent Soul Divine Soul and then cultivated the <Yin Thunder Fierce Ghost Path>.

Although he did not break through to the Golden Core Perfection stage and his cultivation remained at the Golden Core Late Stage, he successfully transformed into a Yin Thunder Fierce Ghost, which greatly increased his combat power.

At this moment, Chen Dengming summoned him not only to let him participate in the battle and test his strength, but also because he wanted to revisit this old Fengwu Workshop, Fengwufang, and take this opportunity to help Zhu Xun regain more of his memories and wisdom.

When he chose to bring these brothers from the banner, it was because he did not want them to completely degenerate into low-level, confused spirits, but rather hoped that one day they could regain some of their memories and wisdom.

Looking back on his journey, he has grown.

The brothers in this banner have finally regained their memories as their strength has increased, proving that their unwavering commitment to their original aspirations has not been in vain.

With a single finger from Chen Dengming, the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun with astonishing speed, as if he had transformed into a streak of black lightning, rushing towards the distant Battlefield in an instant.

Ghosts are already incredibly fast, but after Zhu Xun, the Ghost Old Man, cultivated the <Yin Thunder Fierce Ghost Path> and mastered the Yin Ghost Thunder Escape, his speed increased even more dramatically.

Chen Dengming leisurely followed behind, wearing a giant deer-patterned robe underneath his trousers, its wide sleeves fluttering, responsible for bringing up the rear.

With Dao Child like Old Qiao at the peak of the Golden Core Perfection, plus Zhu Xun, a Yin Thunder Ghost General at the Golden Core Late Stage, even ordinary Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivators could hold out for a while without him having to intervene.

Now that he has reached the Nascent Soul True Lord, he chooses to keep a low profile and avoids taking action unless absolutely necessary, preferring to focus on how to overcome his tribulations.

At this moment, inside the Soul House, the Little Array Spirit seemed to have a telepathic connection and sent out a voice to remind you, "Dao, fellow Daoist, you have now left the Heavenly Destiny Hall and shown your traces in the Human World."

Logically speaking, you have already revealed your yang energy, and you have also become tainted with ghostly resentment by killing the Ghost King Qian Luo.

If a ghost is tracking you from Below the Yin Spring, it only needs to cast a Technique Method called "Unyielding Spirit" to immediately lock onto your trail and find you through the resentment of the Ghost King Qian Luo.

"Oh?" Chen Dengming was taken aback, then nodded slightly and pondered, "So, it's possible that I'm now being located by those two ghosts? Do you have a way to eliminate the resentment of the Ghost King Qian Luo after his death?"

The Little Array Spirit stammered, "If... if I had already formed Ghost Infant, I could help you eliminate it, but my Ghost Infant is still in the process of developing, so I cannot do that yet."

"It seems this is fate."

Chen Dengming nodded, his gaze fixed ahead, his white hair fluttering in the wind. He said calmly, "So be it if it can't be eliminated. I've already undergone the baptism of blessings, yet I still can't wash away this layer of resentment. It seems this is my destined tribulation; even if I try to avoid it, I can't."

Having now made initial contact with and comprehended the concepts of destiny and fortune, although he has not yet grasped the immortal supernatural Divine Ability or abilities associated with these two paths, Chen Dengming has gained a new understanding of fate and blessings.

The opposite of good fortune is calamity, and there is a cause-and-effect relationship between them.

For example, he obtained the finished Spirit Root of the Netherworld Ghost Lord, which is a source of good fortune.

It was a tremendous blessing recognized even by the Heavenly Fortune Hall that changed his own Spiritual Root Potential.

Good fortune may be a harbinger of misfortune; the corresponding source of this good fortune is the calamity of the Netherworld Ghost Lord.

Whether it's the Ghost Lord Qian Luo or the two Ghost Bride sent to deal with him, they are all just one link in the chain of calamity.

Whether he destroys the Ghost Lord Qian Luo or the two Ghost Bride, or avoids both but doesn't resolve the trouble with the Netherworld Ghost Lord, it doesn't count as averting this calamity.

Therefore, instead of simply thinking about how to avoid it, it's better to think about how to proactively solve the problem; the one who tied the knot must untie it.

After exchanging words with the Little Array Spirit for a while, Chen Dengming became cautious and put on guard.

Since the two Ghost Bride from the Below the Yin Spring can find him so persistently, is it possible that they might cooperate with the Three Saints Palace to deal with him?

The latter is very difficult to locate. If we can pinpoint his location through the two Ghost Bride and carry out our revenge, that would be a real problem.

"We cannot afford to be unprepared, but simply resorting to defense without proactively planning solutions would be far too passive."

As I pondered, the surrounding winds and clouds dispersed, and hundreds of miles passed in the blink of an eye.

When Chen Dengming arrived at the Battlefield where the battle was taking place, the fight was basically over.

With the help of Qiao Zhaoxian and the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun, two powerful new forces, the Five Elements Escape Sect and the other two groups of cultivators from the Four Seas Sect were in high spirits and quickly wiped out the cultivators from the Northern Spirit Sect and the Five Elements Sword Sect.

One of the enemy's Golden Core Cultivator was the first to be killed, without even a chance to self-destruct his Golden Core. Just as his soul was about to escape with his Golden Core, he was swallowed whole by the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun.

The few who managed to escape scattered, but before they could get far, they were all caught up by the incredibly fast-moving Ghost Old Man, Zhu Xun.

Rumble--

As streaks of black lightning struck, the fleeing cultivators plummeted from the sky as if they had lost their souls.

Upon witnessing the incredible prowess of the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun, the cultivators from the Five Elements Escape Sect, the Red Lotus Sword Sect, and the Divine Turtle Island all showed expressions of astonishment.

Everyone looked on with surprise and uncertainty, unsure who this senior, exuding a chilling aura and intimidating power, was, and when had such a formidable figure appeared in their ranks?

At this moment, an old cultivator in the Golden Core Late Stage flew out from among the cultivators of the Five Elements Escape Sect. He was the leader of the cultivators from the three sects in this group.

The man Qiao Zhaoxian and said politely and gratefully, "Dao Child, I never expected to meet you here. Your Highness Daozi you for your great help, Your Highness. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have been able to defeat Yue Chengtao, the Thick Earth True Person of the Northern Spirit Sect, who is also at the Golden Core Late Stage like me."

Qiao Zhaoxian laughed heartily, casually forming a hand seal to retract the Tiandao Square Halberd, and said with a heroic air, "It's been many years. Fellow Daoist Gan, you've become quite polite. Back then, you, me, Gao Lingxiao, and the Longevity Sect Leader Chen Dengming worked together to kill the Northern Spirit Sect's Dao Child and the Mochao Kingdom's Golden Core Protector. Our friendship was established then. Why be so polite now?"

"Whoa--"

Upon hearing this story, the cultivators from the surrounding sects were all deeply moved.

Unexpectedly, Gan Qinghong, who is usually mild-mannered and conservative in his dealings with others, has such a glorious past.

He actually fought alongside the Daoist disciple of the Tiandao Sect Dao Child and the renowned Longevity Sect?

Upon hearing Qiao Zhaoxian's words, Gan Qinghong smiled. After all, he had been a figure of glory in the past, and bringing it up now in front of everyone's eyes was an honor.

However, he still remained polite at this moment, saying, "Back then, it was Your Highness Your Highness Daozi great power, and Sect Leader Chen also had amazing combat strength. It was mainly your contribution that killed the Dao Child the Northern Spirit Sect and that protector."

Upon hearing Gan Qinghong's words, a Sword Cultivator from the Red Lotus Sword Sect became interested and was about to inquire whether the story of the Longevity Sect Master killing a Nascent Soul cultivator with the cultivation of Golden Core Perfection cultivator was true or false.

Gan Qinghong, however, turned his gaze to the imposing Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun.

Seeing his face full of scars, his prominent horns, his tall and strong physique, and his fierce aura, he couldn't help but ask Qiao Zhaoxian with trepidation and respect, "Your Highness Daozi, may I ask who this senior is?"

Qiao Zhaoxian to look at the Ghost Old Man who had flown Zhu Xun, and he was also feeling uneasy.

He had known Chen Dengming for many years and had a vague idea of what kind of ghost this was.

But Zhu Xun's overwhelming aura and his menacing appearance, standing over ten feet tall, left him somewhat uncertain, and he felt a sense of frustration, realizing the gap between himself and Chen Dengming.

Even dealing with this one powerful ghost alone would require a great deal of effort if he didn't use his Dao power in conjunction with his Divine Ability, let alone Chen Dengming's current strength.

"This ghostly creature must be a Yin pet cultivated by Sect Leader Chen. It's alright, it won't harm us!"

Qiao Zhaoxian pondered for a moment before speaking.

Gan Qinghong was taken aback, "Sect Leader Chen's secret pet?"

The surrounding cultivators also stopped in their tracks upon hearing this. Such a powerful Yin Pet?

Gan Qinghong quickly realized what was happening and exclaimed with delight, "Sect Leader Chen has arrived too?"

At this moment, Chen Dengming's hearty laughter rang out from the sky, "Fellow Daoist Gan, it's been many years! You're still as dashing as ever. I, Chen, have arrived late, so I've sent my brother from the banner to lend a hand! Please don't take offense!"

Upon hearing this, Gan Qinghong looked up and smiled. He was about to express his gratitude politely and warmly, but the words caught in his throat.

Suddenly, they sensed something amiss with the spiritual aura emanating from Chen Dengming, who was flying through the air.

His smile gradually spread to a face full of stiff, unnatural laugh lines. Even his raised hand trembled slightly before he immediately laughed.

"Sect Leader Chen, I am deeply flattered that you still remember me. Thank you for your righteous help, and I congratulate you on breaking through to the Nascent Soul."

The other cultivators around also looked up and saw Chen Dengming floating down from the sky.

Its forehead was broad, its eyes were bright and piercing, its spirit was deep and unfathomable, and the white hair at its temples danced in the wind, giving it an extraordinary and chilling magic.

Everyone fell into a silent moment, and their breathing rhythms changed slightly.

Anyone with discerning eyes could sense the aura of Nascent Soul cultivator emanating from Chen Dengming, which he had deliberately concealed yet still possessed. Their eyes became even more respectful, and they immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Senior."

Nascent Soul True Lord!

The leader of the Longevity Sect is actually Nascent Soul True Lord!

How could the Foundation Establishment cultivators, who rarely had contact with Nascent Soul True Lord, not be alarmed?

"Fellow Daoist Gan, you're too kind."

Chen Dengming looked at Gan Qinghong, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes. He had expected this to happen, but there was nothing he could do but feel helpless.

In the Cultivation World, strength is paramount. If he were to insist on treating this old friend, with whom he had only a superficial relationship, as an equal to Qiao Zhaoxian, it would only instill fear in the other party.

"Senior Chen, you are too kind. I am ashamed!"

Gan Qinghong was secretly grateful for Chen Dengming's high regard, but he dared not overstep his bounds in the slightest.

After expressing his respect again, he lowered his hands from his clasped hands.

Only then did I realize that my right hand had unfisted, and my sweaty fingers resting in my warm palm evoked a feeling of tension and complexity I hadn't experienced in a long time.

When I first met this Sect Leader Chen, he was just Longevity Dao Child with the strength of the Golden Core Early Stage, while he was the strength of the Golden Core Late Stage.

Now, when they meet again, the other party has long been the sect Longevity Sect Leader, renowned and famous, and is now Nascent Soul True Lord.

And he was still in the Golden Core Late Stage. It was truly a case of someone getting older and older from cultivating immortality, becoming useless in his old age.

As the saying goes, "The higher you climb, the colder it gets," and "A thousand words can be summed up in a single sentence."

After exchanging ideas with these younger generation members, Chen Dengming felt that being Nascent Soul senior was just so-so, rather uninteresting.

Because of the group of people around him, apart from Qiao Zhaoxian, everyone else was sitting upright, even trembling with fear, making the atmosphere very solemn. Answering some of his questions was like facing an interrogation.

He didn't really like this serious feeling.

It turns out that having a high Strength Realm doesn't necessarily mean you can happily show off or enjoy the admiring gazes of others.

More often than not, it's the loneliness at the top.

Fortunately, he still has a very small number of friends and relatives with whom he can communicate normally; otherwise, immortality would just be a journey into loneliness.

To avoid making the atmosphere too solemn, he left Qiao Zhaoxian, who was already shocked by his achievements, to talk with the others.

He then led the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun and several Northern Spirit Sect cultivators who were paralyzed and controlled by Yin Lightning to the side to inquire about the Northern Yin Holy Mother and the Three Saints Palace.

He already knew from Su Yanyan that the Northern Spirit Sect and the Northern Yin Holy Mother had both joined the Three Saints Palace.

I just learned from Gan Qinghong that the Three Saints Palace has actually issued a kill order against him.

It's truly a case of enemies meeting by chance; now two groups of sworn enemies have come together.

It's possible that the Northern Yin Holy Mother might also be involved in the kill order issued by the Three Saints Palace, plotting to kill him.

Perhaps we can glean some information from the cultivators of the Northern Spirit Sect.

"Heh!" After walking to the side, Chen Dengming gave an order to the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun.

"Wow--"

Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun, the foreigner, darted around with his large, bell-like eyes. Seeing the growing majesty in Chen Dengming's eyes, he reluctantly opened his mouth.

From its gaping maw, it spat out the soul of the Golden Core Cultivator from the Northern Spirit Sect that it had swallowed in one gulp, and then let out a low, dissatisfied roar, which made the Golden Core Cultivator's soul tremble and dare not move.

If Chen Dengming hadn't made any demands, he would have kept his mouth shut, pretending not to know he was eating alone, and directly digested the soul of this Golden Core Cultivator from the Northern Spirit Sect without anyone noticing.

Chen Dengming nodded in satisfaction, a gentle smile appearing on his face. He reassured him, "Old Zhu, don't worry. If this fellow Daoist from the Northern Spirit Sect doesn't cooperate later and doesn't provide me with relevant information, you know I never mistreat my brothers."

The Ghost Old Man, Zhu Xun, immediately widened his eyes like copper bells, then grinned with a gaping maw and let out a strange, gurgling laugh.

I don't know if it's because I returned from the high plateau a while ago, or because I changed my diet and sleep schedule recently due to fitness, but I've been feeling sleepy and drowsy lately.

I've tried many methods, such as typing in the common area downstairs or sitting and typing in some coffee shops, but I still feel sleepy and drowsy, somewhat like the brain fog I experienced after having a seizure.

So this week I've been trying to write more chapters on my own initiative, but I haven't been able to. Often I sit all day and can only write five or six thousand words.

Fortunately, while five or six thousand words a day isn't much, it's not too little either; at least I've been consistently updating.

Let me slowly get back into shape. Thank you!