"Immortal Brother Sun..." An immortal had just landed before the cave when an uncontrollable spiritual pressure, like a mountain range, pressed down on Xiao Hua, leaving him unable even to breathe. Another wave of spiritual pressure arrived, and a voice laughed. "Hadn't we agreed to meet on the peak to the left? Why did you suddenly change the location?"
"You mock me, Immortal Friend Chen!" the immortal surnamed Sun said with a smile. "I just discovered that there is a crystallized Crystallized Earth Jade Bear in this cave. You also know that I have several disappointing juniors..."
"Hahaha, Immortal Brother, there is no need to say more!" The immortal surnamed Chen waved his hand and laughed. "Who does not have a few juniors? Besides, a crystallized Crystallized Earth Jade Bear is indeed rare. This is Immortal Brother's good fortune, and it also foretells the smooth success of what we have been planning!"
"If Immortal Friend Chen had business, you could have simply sent a secret talisman. There was no need to make a personal trip all the way from Qingmu Ridge!"
"Immortal Brother Sun, with matters having reached this stage, if I did not personally see Immortal Brother explain the details clearly, I would not dare report them to the elders of my sect. Please forgive me."
"Hehe, Immortal Brother Chen Pin of your sect should already know the specific details. After all, we saw that place together last time."
"Precisely because of that, I cannot help but be cautious. After all, Chen Pin did not enter; only Immortal Brother Sun saw the exact circumstances inside."
"Very well, then Sun will discuss the specific arrangements with Immortal Brother Chen once more..."
Perhaps knowing that Yunmeng Marsh was deserted, the two immortals did not even use secret speech. They simply discussed matters in low voices, making Xiao Hua's heart pound and his soul tremble. He had no desire to become involved in immortals' secrets. He only wanted to leave this place alive.
Before long, the two finished speaking. The immortal surnamed Chen cupped his hands and said, "The matter of Seven Spirits Mountain will depend on the Sun family. Once my Chen family joins forces with the Sun family and obtains the secret manual..."
"Easy enough, easy enough!" After the immortal surnamed Sun agreed with a smile, he raised his hand. A silver ribbon swept up the bear beast, and he was about to take it away when the immortal surnamed Chen suddenly cried out, "Not good! It is a standard Flying Shuttle under the command of the Heavenly Venerate Mansion. Could someone have leaked the news?"
"Impossible!" The immortal surnamed Sun froze for a moment, then argued, "Our Sun family could never have leaked this matter."
"The Flying Shuttle is heading straight for us!"
"I understand!" The immortal surnamed Sun withdrew the silver ribbon and said, "The Crystallized Earth Jade Bear's bloodstains have not yet dried. It must have been hunted by someone from the Heavenly Venerate Mansion. They have come to retrieve it now. What a pity..."
"Hehe, there is no need for pity!" the immortal surnamed Chen said with a smile. "Let us leave quickly. Before we part later, I will give Immortal Friend Sun a few Earth Essence Pills!"
"Many thanks..." The immortal surnamed Sun was overjoyed, then suddenly fell silent. Clearly, he had gone to employ a secret technique.
Xiao Hua did not dare move either. After waiting for a while, he heard the sound of the Flying Shuttle tearing through the air, as well as the Guiding Emissary's furious voice. "How is this possible? How could that bastard have escaped so quickly? His trail was still nearby just now!"
Seeing this, Xiao Hua became even less willing to emerge. Although he did not know what method the Guiding Emissary had used to pursue him here, he knew at least that hiding inside the bear beast was safe. Moreover, within the bear beast's body, the Dark Green Moonlight could not reach his Nascent Soul Body. Why would Xiao Hua not gladly remain there?
Xiao Hua was exhausted in body and mind. After hiding for a while, he could not help falling asleep. When he awoke and poked his head out, he found that it was still night!
"How strange. Why is night in the Immortal Realm so long?" Xiao Hua felt that he had slept for several hours and secretly found it baffling. But when he noticed the moonlight, like icy crystal, he suddenly understood and laughed. "Xiao knows now. The Immortal Realm is similar to Shenhua Continent and also has multiple Taiyin Stars. It is merely that the moons of the Immortal Realm emerge one after another, while those of Shenhua Continent emerge together! I only do not know whether this moon essence will harm me."
With that thought, Xiao Hua crawled out of the blood and filth full of anticipation. Yet before he could even enter the crystalline moonlight, an indescribable chill arose from within his body.
"Forget it, forget it..." Xiao Hua hurriedly crawled back in and said with a bitter smile, "I have no affinity with the bright moons of the Immortal Realm. I should sleep instead!"
Hiding within the bear beast, Xiao Hua pondered to himself, Xiao originally planned to ascend to immortality in the flesh. Now that I have set foot in the Immortal Realm in a Nascent Soul Body, everything must change! First, I must find Spirit Cleansing Liquid and remove the mortal spiritual energy within me that cannot be expelled. Otherwise, Xiao will be unable to move a single step in the Immortal Realm. Second, I must find a cultivation technique. Senior Xu's Thunderous Might is only a body-cultivation method, not something a Nascent Soul can cultivate. The flames transformed from the Sacred Lotus Seed, as well as the violet qi within Xiao's body, can only be comprehended; they cannot serve as a cultivation technique, much less Immortal Arts. Xiao must find a technique suitable for Nascent Soul cultivation.
Fortunately, the scattered-nascent-soul cultivation art Senior Xu gave me also contains a small portion of Immortal Realm cultivation methods later on. They can be used now. I should find a secluded place and finish cultivating that portion of the technique. Only after gaining an understanding of the Immortal Realm can I seek another method!
It is only that this Guiding Emissary is troublesome. How should Xiao conceal his tracks?
Xiao Hua wanted to find a secluded place, yet the heavens refused to give him the chance. Even during the brief moments when he hid in the bear beast and rested, others would come disturb him.
Just as Xiao Hua was thinking, another weak strand of emanated thought swept over. This emanated thought differed from the earlier ones, seeming furtive and sneaky. The moment it touched the bear beast, it immediately withdrew. Only after a full quarter-hour did it quietly sweep over again. Xiao Hua possessed no emanated thought himself, but he was extremely sensitive to it. Though puzzled, he did not dare make the slightest movement and merely hid there in silence. About the time it took to eat a meal later, a figure several dozen zhang tall cautiously poked his head into the cave from outside. This immortal wore an ink-black robe and had a dignified appearance. Beneath his thick brows, a pair of tiger eyes stared at the bear beast on the ground in astonishment, and he still hesitated.
Upon hearing this person's footsteps, Xiao Hua secretly cried out in misery, knowing that he would not be as lucky as before.
"Is anyone here?" The immortal called out a few times in testing fashion. Only then did he boldly step forward, pat the bear beast's corpse with his hand, and laugh loudly. "This old man actually has a lucky day too? A crystallized Crystallized Earth Jade Bear fell from the heavens right at my doorstep?"
As he spoke, the immortal raised his hand, and a huge shadow of a hand appeared, reaching for the bear beast's corpse. Clearly, he intended to take it away.
"Ahem..." Xiao Hua helplessly coughed lightly and squeezed himself out from the bear beast's corpse. With a bitter smile, he said, "Which immortal friend has disturbed my sweet dream?"
"Ah?" The immortal was greatly startled. His body flashed, and he almost instantly fled to the cave entrance. However, when the corner of his eye clearly saw Xiao Hua's appearance, his eyes rolled, and he stopped again. After hesitating for a moment, he forced a smile and said, "So this object is the palace in which Immortal Friend resides. My apologies, my apologies..."
Xiao Hua had already secretly released his spiritual sense and "felt out" the immortal's height. Though he did not know how strong this immortal was, judging from his movements and his similar height to Xiao Hua, Xiao Hua could roughly tell that this immortal was weaker than the Guiding Emissary. He had more than enough ability to protect himself.
"You are too courteous, Immortal Friend..." Xiao Hua cupped his hands and smiled. "It was Zhang who chose the wrong path and blocked Immortal Friend's doorway. I truly apologize!"
As Xiao Hua spoke, an indescribable icy chill arose from within his body, and he could not help shuddering.
Seeing this, the immortal smiled faintly. From a one-foot-long bag at his waist, he took out an emerald-green Pearl Shirt, raised his hand, and sent it before Xiao Hua. "Immortal Friend Zhang, this was what Chu used when I first entered the Immortal Realm. Though it is an old item, its function remains. Please accept it with a smile..."
Xiao Hua raised his brows and asked strangely, "What does Immortal Friend Chu mean by this?"
"Hehe..." Immortal Chu smiled faintly and said, "Was Chu's mention of 'first entering the Immortal Realm' not clear enough? If Immortal Friend Zhang had not entered the Immortal Realm through another path, and this physical body had not been soaked in Spirit Cleansing Liquid, why would you fear this Osmanthus Soul Moon Essence?"
When Xiao Hua heard Immortal Chu mention "entering the Immortal Realm through another path," he was truly shocked and blurted out, "You... how did you know??"
Immortal Chu shrugged gracefully, wearing an expression as though everything lay within his grasp, and replied, "Very simple. Because I too entered the Immortal Realm through a Side Gate. A hundred or so world-ages ago, I was exactly like you are now."
Xiao Hua's astonishment was naturally not over how Immortal Chu knew he had just entered the immortal gate. He was astonished by how Immortal Chu had entered through a Side Gate!
Could the Immortal Realm also be entered without passing through a lightning tribulation?
However, Xiao Hua was not anxious. Since Immortal Chu had brought it up himself, he would certainly explain. Thus, Xiao Hua pretended to be stunned and asked curiously, "The hundred or so world-ages that Immortal Friend Chu mentioned... what does that mean?"
"Hehe..." Immortal Chu smiled faintly and explained, "The Immortal Realm records time differently from the mortal world. The mortal world has years, months, and days; the Immortal Realm has world-ages, eons, epochs. Oh, above those are tribulations, kalpas, eras, and Ji. Three hundred and sixty epochs make one eon, and three hundred and sixty eons make one world-age, continuing in this fashion. However, those of us from the mortal world are accustomed to our old terms, so we still call epochs Yuan Tian, eons Yan Yue, and world-ages Shi Nian. Some places in the Immortal Realm call them that as well."
Having said that, Immortal Chu pointed beyond the cave entrance and smiled. "Immortal Friend Zhang, look again at our moon. It differs from the previous one. This one is called the Osmanthus Moon, and its color is icy crystal. The previous one was called the Autumn Hair Moon, and its color was dark green. Before dawn, there will be a third moon called the White Gazing Moon. Its color resembles that of our mortal world: bright white."
"The... the Immortal Realm actually has three moons?" Xiao Hua again pretended to be astonished.
"Oh?" Immortal Chu raised his brows and asked strangely, "Did the one who brought you here... not explain it carefully?"
"Of course not..." Xiao Hua glanced at the Pearl Shirt in Immortal Chu's hand and shook his head. "If there had been, Zhang would not be in such a miserable state!"
"Oh, my apologies, Immortal Friend Zhang..." Immortal Chu hurriedly offered the Pearl Shirt again and said with a smile, "Chu forgot about this."
Xiao Hua accepted the Pearl Shirt and swept it with his spiritual sense. Finding nothing unusual, he looked again at Immortal Chu. Immortal Chu was not at all surprised by Xiao Hua's caution. He merely watched with a smiling expression and said nothing...
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