Myriad Ancient Secrets! Species Extinction After Spiritual Energy Decline
Several years later, in the New Realm.
In the starry sky outside the Phoenix Cry Dao Domain's native domain, a caravan was flying past in a huge dragon-shaped spirit boat, heading towards the floating island platform of the Phoenix Cry Dao Domain's guiding layer.
Suddenly, in the outer space of the Dao Domain, a large amount of cosmic energy stirred up, as red and bright as a burning cloud, and as if it had transformed into streaks of bright and dazzling aurora, impacting the giant spirit ship.
Rumble! --
A deafening roar and a violent collision erupted from the protective shield that rose from the spirit ship, sending out rings of light waves.
"Roar--"
The spirit boat instantly activated its Formation, resembling a real Golden Dragon, and immediately pierced through the turbulent cosmic energy, making an emergency landing on a huge floating island below.
On the floating island, many cultivators were also alerted. Several powerful auras erupted from the floating island, and several Nascent Soul True Lords were stationed there flew out to provide assistance.
Several dozen breaths later.
The chaos that occurred in the outer space of the Phoenix Cry Dao Domain had already reached a huge fiery red Cultivation Star surrounded by several Cultivation Star in the native Dao Domain.
Within this fiery Cultivation Star stands a flaming mountain that has burned for thousands of years, known as Phoenix Flame Mountain. It is the sacred mountain of the Phoenix Cry Dao Sect and the place where many elders of the sect handle important matters.
At this moment, inside the building in the mountains, meticulously sculpted by Huo Yu, five elders of the Phoenix Cry Dao Sect sat around a round table made of Huo Yu, discussing the various chaotic events that had recently occurred, all with expressions of doubt and unease.
"The cosmic energy has suddenly become so turbulent. Normally, as long as it is not stimulated, it is the best source of Spiritual Qi energy, and no one would be foolish enough to deliberately detonate it."
"But in fact, the energy of the universe is indeed inexplicably turbulent now. Similar situations have occurred in the past few years, but none have been as dangerous as this time. Even the Golden Dragon Chamber of Commerce's fifth-tier Golden Dragon nearly sank and its crew perished."
"Besides the Qi of the universe, the Spiritual Qi content within the Dao Inner Domain has also been declining year by year in recent years. The elder of the Spiritual Qi Hall, who is in charge of surveying the Spiritual Qi concentration, has given me a detailed record for comparison. The Spiritual Qi content within the Dao Inner Domain is now about 10% lower than it was four years ago."
"This is bad. A similar situation occurred on the Devilish Cultivator Star ten years ago, Your Highness Daozi issued a warning. What exactly is going on?"
As the five elders were discussing, the palace doors suddenly opened in a burst of light, and a tall, proud woman in fiery red and gold armor stepped in.
"Your Highness!"
Upon seeing the woman enter, the five elders of the Phoenix Cry Dao Sect rose to their feet and respectfully greeted her.
This tall woman had a slender and graceful figure, and her eyes were clear and endless, as if they contained an indescribable calm and depth. Her slightly raised, delicate chin gave off an air of arrogance. She was none other than Phoenix Cry Dao Child Huang Yun.
"Elders, there is no need to worry. I have already contacted Master about this matter and understand the reason. I hope that you will inform other elders and deacons within and outside the sect afterward."
Huang Yun addressed the five elders.
Upon hearing that Huang Yun had contacted Phoenix Cry Dao Venerable, the five elders breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had found their pillar of support.
Huang Yun continued, her brows furrowing slightly, "According to Master, the unusual events that have occurred on various Cultivation Star in recent years are actually harbingers of Eternal Great Tribulation."
Master will return to the sect before the great calamity occurs to protect the Daoist disciples as they overcome it.
"Eternal Great Tribulation?!" The five elders all looked surprised and bewildered.
The Phoenix Cry Dao Sect rarely interferes in the affairs of the Ancient Realm. These five elders are cultivators who have only reached the Nascent Soul stage in the last thousand years, so it is naturally difficult for them to know the secrets of the Ancient Realm regarding the Eternal Great Tribulation.
Huang Yun said solemnly, "From the current perspective, this Eternal Great Tribulation is not only a calamity within the Ancient Realm, but has now even spread to our New Realm, becoming a calamity for our New Realm."
The Ancient Realm was once the source of immortality in the universe, and the Five Great True Immortals —gods, ghosts, heaven, earth, and humans—were the glorious origin of immortality.
In the vast universe beyond the Ancient Realm, there is no place as suitable for cultivation as the Ancient Realm; even High Antiquity immortals would find it difficult to find.
Furthermore, the Five Great True Immortals of High Antiquity times were all born in the Ancient Realm and attained Ancient Realm there, thus establishing an inseparable and intricate relationship with the Ancient Realm.
Therefore, when the Eternal Great Tribulation Ancient Realm, even the Five Great True Immortals could hardly escape their own lineages and domains, ultimately meeting a tragic end. The Ancient Realm, due to its glory, was also the place most severely affected by the calamity. But now...
Several elders immediately realized, "But now, our New Realm Immortal Path is even more glorious than the Ancient Realm, so is this Eternal Great Tribulation showing a tendency to spread to our New Realm?"
"Good!"
Huang Yun nodded. "Master said that, in fact, when the Eternal Great Tribulation broke out ten thousand years ago, it also affected the New Realm. However, there were not many cultivators in the New Realm at that time, and there were very few Cultivation Star suitable for cultivation, so the impact was not serious."
After tens of thousands of years of development, the New Realm has become increasingly prosperous. Some Cultivation Star have gradually given birth to many Spirit Vein, making cultivation resources more and more abundant, and the number of cultivators has also increased. Therefore, it has developed into a more prosperous world than the Ancient Realm over tens of thousands of years, with powerful figures everywhere.
However, in the Ancient Realm, due to the fall of the Five Great True Immortals of High Antiquity and the collapse of their Five Great True Immortals domains, things have been deteriorating. Resources have become increasingly scarce, making it increasingly difficult for even Spirit Transformation and Dao Integration experts to emerge.
An elder exclaimed in shock, "So, the decline of the Ancient Realm was caused by the Eternal Great Tribulation, and now this calamity has spread to our New Realm. Doesn't that mean our New Realm will also face a great disaster?"
"Don't panic."
Huang Yun chuckled lightly, "The Eternal Great Tribulation occurred tens of thousands of years ago. Do you think that none of you Dao Venerable were prepared for such a disaster? In fact, you have been preparing for nearly ten thousand years."
The power structure of the New Realm today is different from that of the small, remote regions of the Ancient Realm."
Having said that, she turned to look at the distant starry sky, and the figure she had remembered for hundreds of years involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
Now that the great calamity has begun, the Ancient Realm is probably in a state of chaos, and that person may not be able to escape unscathed from the calamity.
In the past, when Feng Lingzi went to consult the Great Enlightenment Dao Venerable, the Great Enlightenment Dao Venerable had already made it clear that the Ancient Realm's attempt to prevent the Demon Fall from invading was tantamount to courting death, and that a great calamity would soon befall them. The cultivators of the Ancient Realm were like turtles in a jar, unable to stir up any more waves. Their current small actions were nothing more than a struggle before death.
If Mo Luo had controlled the Ancient Realm back then, perhaps some cultivators in the Ancient Realm could have survived with him. Now, it is even more difficult.
At this moment, in the Ancient Realm.
Inside the Longevity Sect's cave abode, Chen Dengming finished his cultivation. His abundant essence, energy, and Essence, Qi, and Spirit gathered above his head, forming a pattern of yellow, white, and red flowers, which was getting closer to perfection.
He slowly withdrew his breath, and the three flowers shrank into his body, gradually dissolving.
Carefully sensing his physical condition, he found that the vital energy he had lost in the battle against the Buddha Guai and the Ghost a few years ago had been completely restored. In fact, due to absorbing some of the Soul Power and primordial spirit left behind by Primordial Spirit Buddha Guai's Ghost Body, as well as the vital Life Energy transformed from ghost energy, his cultivation level had also increased significantly in just a few years.
The only thing that cannot be recovered is the lifespan lost a few years ago.
Chen Dengming observes the status of the control panel.
Today, he is nearly 760 years old.
If he were still Golden Core True Person, he would now be nearing the Lifespan Limit, and the actual lifespan he has lost has already exceeded two thousand years.
Fortunately, his Lifespan Limit has now reached an astonishing 14,000 years since he broke through to the perfect Spirit Transformation realm. Even though he has lost more than 2,000 years, he still has tens of thousands of years left to live.
"If I live like this, without being brave and ruthless in my struggles, even if I survive this Eternal Great Tribulation, I might still have to endure the next Eternal Great Tribulation. My life is pretty miserable!"
Looking at his Lifespan Limit of tens of thousands of years, Chen Dengming was both smug and sighing deeply.
Living too long isn't good either; you'll be tormented by Eternal Great Tribulation, which is incredibly distressing.
Even with the current Eternal Great Tribulation, he wasn't entirely confident he could avert it; he could only give it a try.
"Although my cultivation is not far from complete perfection, I'm afraid I'll need to cultivate in the Ghost Realm for another hundred years to reach the Great Tribulation of Eternal Great Tribulation before I can reach the pinnacle of my current realm. But I may not be given a hundred years to cultivate peacefully."
When it came to calculating the time required for cultivation, Chen Dengming became quite conflicted.
Unless he enters the Heavenly Timing to cultivate now, it will be very difficult for him to gain much more time.
But now the Shattered Heavenly Immortal Realm is rapidly disintegrating.
If he were to expend a large amount of Immortal Spiritual Energy to create a Heavenly Timing environment for himself and cultivate within it, the Shattered Heavenly Immortal Realm would crumble even faster.
The Shattered Heavenly Immortal Realm was the Dao Domain he intended to use to lay the foundation for his Dao, and it was also related to his plan to save the world when the Eternal Great Tribulation arrived.
If the Shattered Heavenly Immortal Realm crumbles too quickly, he may face the danger of losing his Dao Foundation after breaking through to the Dao Integration Realm, or he may obtain a severely damaged Dao Foundation, making it difficult to protect the world.
This seems to have fallen into an unsolvable vicious cycle.
"Cultivation is not something that can be accomplished overnight. There's no use in being impatient now. I should calm down and continue to think of ways to cultivate."
Chen Dengming composed himself, then got up and left the cultivation room.
Now, four years have passed, Dongfang Huayuan seems to have failed to achieve enlightenment, but the omens of the Eternal Great Tribulation are becoming increasingly fierce.
Chen Dengming soon arrived at the Heavenly Longevity Hall.
He Yingyu is currently gathering the sect elders and Dao Child to handle some matters.
Chen Dengming's sudden visit startled all the elders and Dao Child, who immediately stood up and bowed in greeting. Some of the new elders were so excited and nervous that their hands and feet trembled.
"No need for such formalities."
Chen Dengming tried his best to conceal his spiritual aura. He looked around and saw many new faces, but only Gongshu Zai and Wen Liyan were familiar faces. They had both aged considerably, which made him sigh inwardly.
The older generation of Golden Core Elder, such as Guan Chao and Ye Ding, all reached the Lifespan Limit decades or even hundreds of years ago and passed away peacefully in their old age.
Time is merciless; it is like a sharp knife, reaping lives.
How many who seek immortality have perished on the path to it?
He Yingyu quickly dismissed the elders and stayed behind alone to report the situation to Chen Dengming.
With Chen Dengming's current strength, even though he deliberately concealed his spiritual power, many Golden Core Elders and Dao Child remained silent. Even the two elders, Gongshu Zai and Wen Liyan, dared not say anything. The atmosphere was heavy, except for He Yingyu, who spoke freely.
"Husband, please have some tea first." After dismissing everyone, He Yingyu personally poured a cup of tea for him.
Chen Dengming accepted the tea, sat down casually, and said, "Didn't I say that within this hall, one should be addressed by their official rank?"
He Yingyu rolled her eyes, her pert buttocks slumping as she plopped down in Chen Dengming's lap. "Yes, my good ancestor!"
As she spoke, she deliberately twisted her waist and rubbed against him a few times.
Chen Dengming choked on his tea, swallowed it with difficulty, and glared at him, saying, "Report on your work."
"Seriously! If you want to know the situation, can't I give you a detailed report after I return? There's no need for you to come in person."
He Yingyu snorted softly, then her expression turned solemn, and she parted her lustrous red lips to say, "Now, the Spirit Vein in many places within my Longevity Dao Domain are rapidly declining. Some Second-Rank Spirit Vein have degenerated into First-Rank Spirit Vein, and First-Rank Spirit Vein have degenerated into shattered veins."
The Third-Rank Spirit Vein has not yet degenerated, but tests have shown that its Spiritual Qi content has been significantly reduced.
Due to the decline of Spiritual Qi, the production of Spirit Rice has also decreased sharply in recent years, and many Spirit Herbs, spirit medicine, and teas are even showing signs of extinction.
Chen Dengming frowned, looking at the spiritual tea in his cup. "Is this Misty Rain Pavilion Spirit Tea going to become extinct?"
He Yingyu blinked her beautiful eyes and nodded, saying, "This spiritual tea is indeed on the list of things that are about to become extinct. Its production is very scarce now. If you hadn't enjoyed drinking this spiritual tea for so many years, the sect wouldn't have stockpiled so much of it."
"Sigh." Chen Dengming suddenly felt the tea had lost its flavor, and put the teacup down on the table. "What about other spiritual species? Am I going to be unable to even eat Spirit Fish in the future?"
He Yingyu, "It's very likely. According to the investigation conducted by the sect disciples, quite a few spiritual creatures have disappeared. The Spirit Fish are still okay, but if this continues, they may also degenerate into ordinary fish."
What other situations are there?
"As Spiritual Qi declines, the nascent calamity force is growing rapidly. Now, in many places across the Four Seas Four Regions, calamity force fog has formed. In places where it is thick, it covers the sky and the earth. Once a Core Formation Cultivator is caught in it, he never comes out again. Some sects have been wiped out overnight, forcing many sects to begin to migrate."
"This is troublesome." Chen Dengming pushed He Yingyu away, stood up, and paced back and forth.
He Yingyu followed closely behind, saying, "The Four Seas Cultivation Alliance has finally begun to realize the seriousness of the situation and is actively cooperating with us in rescue efforts. Many sect representatives and Spirit Transformation seniors have approached Martial Aunt Su, asking for your opinion and hoping you have a solution."
"Now they're starting to panic."
Chen Dengming chuckled, paused, and suddenly realized that this might be a good opportunity.
He did have a solution, but he lacked the precious resources to quickly cultivate his substitute's abilities.
Now, the Spirit Transmutation Dao Lord of all the major Immortal Sect Dao Gate across the four seas are coming to ask for his opinion, which shows that they have long been aware of the activities he, Dongfang Huayuan, and Qu Shenzong had been involved in a few years ago.
Now, he could easily gather representatives from various sects and fellow Spirit Transformation stage, explain his plan, and pool their resources to help him break through to the Dao Integration stage. With the help of the Shattered Heavenly Immortal Realm, he could accomplish the great feat of protecting the world.
If, at this time, some people still shirk responsibility and prioritize their own interests, then when they attain enlightenment in the future, they will not be blamed for being ruthless.
(Please vote with monthly tickets. I tried using the illustration panel in this chapter, which saved some words.)