Aren't You Afraid You'll Die in There?

One cultivator present in his physical body laughed. "There's no need to envy this fellow Daoist!"

"Everyone, this Lower Court outpost was established thousands of years ago."

"A thousand years ago, people were already attacking the Great Tomb, but they all died and their Daos perished before they could see it fall."

"For us to live to see the Great Tomb fall, reflect a set of buildings from the Real World into this place, and reap some benefits-that's already an extraordinary stroke of luck!"

"Without this fellow Daoist who practices the People-Crossing Scripture, we probably would have needed another few decades to clear out the Great Tomb completely."

"And a few decades from now, which of us can guarantee we'll still be alive?"

Everyone nodded repeatedly at his words.

Their attitudes had settled down now.

They gathered around Wang Quan to express their thanks.

Wang Quan nodded and responded to each of them, then turned his attention to the newly reflected cluster of buildings.

High-rises rose from the ground, one after another.

These buildings gave off a hazy white glow that enveloped the surrounding areas.

Some of that light tried to connect with the Coffin Dormitory Area and the Scripture Repository.

Unfortunately, stretches of darkness still lay between them, preventing any connection.

An Yin Spirit stepped into a high-rise dormitory and carefully sensed its effects.

"This place can heal injuries quickly!"

The Yin Spirits cheered.

Another cultivator present in his physical body sensed the surroundings. "The Drowning Dao Lower Court's outpost is much more stable now."

"Both the Scripture Repository and the coffin area have doubled their suppression of evil."

"We'll be safer here from now on!"

An Yin Spirit rushed into the Scripture Repository, then hurried back out and exclaimed excitedly, "The Scripture Repository's ability to enhance our understanding of Daoist scriptures has improved by at least a third!"

At this, everyone broke into even louder cheers.

The Scripture Repository in the Second Layer could speed up their understanding of Daoist scriptures.

The Coffin Dormitory could cleanse the evil clinging to Yin Spirits and heal their injuries.

The high-rise dormitories could heal injuries quickly.

As more buildings were reflected into this world, the effects of the existing buildings continued to improve as well.

This was tremendously important to the many cultivators active in the Second Layer.

At that moment, Wang Quan noticed something.

The surrounding darkness was less dense than it had been on his first visit.

Some of the twisted trees and buildings seemed to have been suppressed by a strange force and were no longer quite so animated.

Even more interestingly:

He felt that the moonlight spilling down was less red, too.

A cultivator present in his physical body approached him. "Fellow Daoist, which cluster of buildings do you plan to clear out next?"

Wang Quan was just about to answer when something suddenly stirred in his mind. "Something's come up in the Real World. I'll head back first."

The cultivator nodded hurriedly. "All right, we'll wait for you tomorrow!"

"We can study the next building together then!"

Wang Quan shook his head. "There's no need to wait for me!"

"Do whatever you want to do."

With that, his Yin Spirit stepped into the dormitory area, and billowing black smoke rose from him.

In barely a second, no more black smoke remained on his Yin Spirit. With a shift of his thoughts, it returned to his body.

Crash!

The loose stones at the cave entrance collapsed. Wang Quan emerged, slapped his case to release the paper people carrying his sedan chair, and headed straight for the mountaintop.

At the mountaintop:

Qian Xiuyue and the others were not refining their methods. Instead, they were all discussing something with excited, animated expressions.

Wang Quan raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Qian Xiuyue had kept contacting him earlier, which was why he had returned.

Qian Xiuyue said excitedly, "Something huge has happened!"

"The whole Lower Court might be turned upside down!"

Wang Quan frowned. "What's going on? Is the Lower Court going to disband?"

Qian Xiuyue shook her head. "No!"

"Just a little while ago, every cultivator with any real ability in the entire Lower Court, and even the Market Ward, sent their Yin Spirits into the Second-Layer World."

"A few big shots from our [Star Alliance] supposedly even descended into the Second-Layer World in their physical bodies."

"Everyone's on edge!"

"They say a war is about to break out in the Second-Layer World!"

"Hundreds, perhaps even a thousand experts might fall this time."

Wang Quan was speechless...

One cultivator said excitedly, "If hundreds or thousands of experts fall, it's bound to have an enormous impact on the Market Ward, and even the Lower Court."

"A new order might emerge after daybreak!"

"Wang Quan, we have to do something."

Wang Quan was speechless...

"Everyone, I don't think any of this has anything to do with us!"

Qian Xiuyue and the others shook their heads. "It doesn't just concern us-it concerns us a great deal!"

"Zhao Hongyi even contacted me just now to ask what was happening!"

"A lot of people believe this is definitely a conflict between the New Method and the Old Cultivation Method."

"If the New Method wins, the Drowning Dao Lower Court will probably start recommending it instead of our way of cultivating!"

"If our Old Cultivation Method wins, there may never be a place for the New Method in the Lower Court or the Market Ward again."

"You have no idea how chaotic the entire Market Ward is right now, or even the Lower Court itself."

"So many people are panicking."

"Zhao Hongyi asked to meet us. She hopes we can join forces to face the upheaval and turmoil coming after daybreak."

Wang Quan fell silent again.

Something this big had happened in the Second-Layer World?

How come I didn't know about it?

He only remembered that many Yin Spirits had gone there to attack the gateway to the Great Tomb's first level.

Those people had thought he was trapped inside the Great Tomb.

They had merely been worried that they would not be able to clear out the Great Tomb completely and reflect buildings from the Real World into it.

How had the story suddenly turned into a conflict between the New Method and the Old Cultivation Method?

Shouldn't a conflict like that involve destroying your opponents' bodies in the Real World? Fighting in the Second-Layer World rarely killed anyone.

Had none of you taken a stroll through the Second-Layer World after refining your methods?

He brushed off Qian Xiuyue and the others. "I've only just refined my method. I'm not in the mood to pay attention to this."

"With that much time on our hands, we'd be better off improving ourselves!"

Qian Xiuyue and the others rolled their eyes at his response. "Even as immortal cultivators, we have to follow the greater tide."

"We have to know which way that tide is flowing."

"Forget it, we're not talking to you anymore. We'll go meet Zhao Hongyi first!"

"If the New Method wins, we'll join it!"

"If the Old Cultivation Method wins, Zhao Hongyi will join us!"

"We have to huddle together for warmth!"

Qian Xiuyue and the others packed up their valuables, mounted immortal cranes, and hurried away.

Wang Quan did not mind. He was preparing to inspect his [First-Rank Dao Seal].

Ever since his Yin Spirit had returned, the [First-Rank Dao Seal] had been flashing continuously, notifying him of a change.

Just then, however, his identity token received more messages.

They were from the Dream Nun and the Officiant Daoist Nun.

The three of them had formed a contact group. The Officiant Daoist Nun chattered away. "Disaster!"

"Something huge has happened in the Second-Layer World!"

"Several Yin Spirit experts I know have all rushed into the Second-Layer World."

"My Yin Spirit isn't strong enough, so I didn't dare go in!"

"But I suspect something big might have happened in there."

"Everyone, keep your heads down for the next few days. Don't go stirring up trouble."

The Dream Nun said, "Several Yin Spirit experts I know were in the middle of refining their methods, but they suddenly abandoned all their preparations and plunged into the Second-Layer World."

"Something huge must have happened in there."

"Could the backers behind the New Method be moving to wipe us out?"

The Officiant Daoist Nun was at a loss. "I don't know either."

"All we can do now is wait."

Wang Quan spoke up. "The Great Tomb in the Second-Layer World has disappeared, and the Drowning Dao Lower Court's dormitory complex has been reflected into it."

The Officiant Daoist Nun was speechless...

The Dream Nun was speechless...

"How do you know?"

Wang Quan laughed. "I went in and took a look!"

Gasp!

Both Daoist nuns sucked in a breath of cold air. "You've got some nerve!"

"Is that a place ordinary Yin Spirits can just enter and leave as they please?"

"Aren't you afraid you'll die in there?"