White-Haired Wu Chen hair, sat cross-legged, guarding the entrance to the Buddha Dust. Although his physical body survived after being imprisoned for a long time, his power was greatly reduced. He had reached the Spirit Severing Late Stage the Nascent Soul realm when he entered the illusion, and was about to step into the Integrated Body Early Stage. He had just checked himself and found that he only had the cultivation of the Spirit Severing Middle Stage, which made him very angry.
He knew that without decades of cultivation, he wouldn't be able to recover to his original level, let alone reach the Body Integration Realm. He was also unaware that his younger brother, Fu Shan, was already a super expert at the Integrated Body Late Stage. In the Cultivation Realm, cultivators capable of reaching the Tribulation Transcendence Realm were extremely rare.
Mei'er drifted back and forth in the hall. Ever since Li Qiang entered the Buddha Dust, she had been like a lost soul, extremely uneasy. She didn't know how she had spent the hundred years in the ancient castle. She had never felt so anxious before. Ever since Li Qiang helped her cultivate her Spirit Body, she knew that she could never leave him again.
Wu Chen slowly exhaled, watching Mei'er constantly swaying in front of him, and couldn't help but say, "Little girl, stop floating around, you're making me dizzy. Sit down and let's talk."
Mei'er had no choice but to stop in front of Wu Chen and said, "Why hasn't brother come out yet? Grandpa, do you think brother might... um, he'll definitely be alright."
Wu Chen found it strange. This little girl seemed very attached to Li Qiang, but she was Spirit Body, separated from a cultivator like Li Qiang by a realm. He was very curious, as it was rare to see cultivators and Spirit Body become friends in the Cultivation Realm.
Soon, Wu Chen regretted chatting with Mei'er. The little girl had nothing else to say but every now and then she would ask, "Why hasn't brother come out yet?" or "Is he in danger?", " Mei'er is so worried!", "Grandpa, please think of something! Brother has been inside for so long!"
Wu Chen was so overwhelmed by her nagging that he could only manage a wry smile. His pride was well-known in the Cultivation Realm, yet now he was being pestered by a little Spirit Body girl.
Mei'er said again, "Strange, it's been so long, why hasn't brother come out yet?"
Wu Chen trembled from her relentless barrage of questions, his white hair standing on end like a hedgehog. Mei'er finally turned her attention. "Grandpa, what's wrong? Are you sick? Strange, cultivators don't get sick easily..." She then added, "Oh dear, why isn't brother out yet? Mei'er is so worried!"
Wu Chen was practically going crazy. He leaped up, raised his hand, and unleashed a beam of white light that struck the wall. With a deafening roar, he smashed down one wall. He couldn't help but yell, "Yatai! Waa...
Mei'er was startled and said, "Grandpa, don't worry, brother will come out!" The little girl had no idea that Wu Chen was driven crazy by her nagging; she thought he was worried about Li Qiang's safety.
Unfortunately, the most famous Buddha Sect Great Illusion Buddha Realm, was completely destroyed by Wu Chen, and the culprit turned out to be a little Spirit Body girl.
Wu Chen collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. He had just emerged from the illusion, his power had regressed significantly, and his mind was extremely unsettled. Mei'er's nagging was like a fuse, causing him to suddenly erupt. After standing on the ground for a while, he suddenly realized he had lost his composure, sighed, sat down cross-legged again, and said, "Little girl, don't ask anymore, your brother is fine."
Mei'er clung to Wu Chen like a lifeline, floating to his side. "Really? That's great, brother's alright... But why hasn't brother come out yet?" She seemed to have forgotten how to say anything else, only repeating the same words over and over.
Wu Chen cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said weakly, "Uh! Little Miss, can you be quiet for a while... okay? Sigh!" He secretly vowed that in the future, he would stay far away from Spirit Body he saw, especially female Spirit Body; they were just too terrifying.
Mei'er's attention was completely Wu Chen, and she ignored the implication of his words. She continued to float around anxiously, muttering, "Why isn't brother coming out yet?"
Wu Chen was, after all, a master cultivator, and he quickly adjusted his mindset. To avoid getting angry again, he focused his mind on his Nascent Soul and began to cultivate.
When Wu Chen awoke from his cultivation, he found Mei'er still muttering to herself, looking very forlorn and heartbroken. Wu Chen was stunned. Suddenly, he was deeply moved. This little girl was so persistent. He simply couldn't understand what Li Qiang's abilities were that made this little girl care so much.
When Mei'er saw Wu Chen open his eyes, she immediately floated over, her voice trembling with tears, "Grandpa... Brother Wu, why isn't my brother out yet?"
For some reason, Wu Chen's Dao heart, which had remained stagnant for many years, trembled slightly, and he suddenly felt a pang of sadness. He said sincerely, "Girl, don't worry, your brother will definitely come out... Don't worry." Poor Wu Chen had never comforted anyone in his life, and could only offer such dry words of advice.
After leaving Li Qiang, the little Sea Demon remained perched atop a pillar, motionless as if asleep. Just as Wu Chen was growing impatient, it suddenly flew up and into Mei'er's arms. Mei'er hugged it tightly, as if she had finally found someone to confide in. " Blue Light, Mei'er is so worried! What's wrong with my brother? We haven't heard from him at all..." The little Sea Demon whimpered softly, its round eyes darting around.
Wu Chen pointed at the Buddha Dust and shouted, "Girl, look!"
Mei'er hurriedly floated over, only to see the clump of Buddha Dust in the corner churning violently. She cried out excitedly, "Brother's coming out! Brother's coming out!"
A sliver of golden light shone through the Buddha Dust, gradually growing stronger.
Wu Chen grabbed Mei'er and flew backward rapidly. Mei'er, confused, cried out, " Brother Wu, don't pull Mei'er! I want to greet my brother!"
Wu Chen's insight was indeed extraordinary; he shouted, "That's the precious light of the Golden Lotus Jade Throne! A powerful figure from the Buddha Sect has emerged! Be careful!"
The intense golden light was so dazzling that it was impossible to open one's eyes. The little Sea Demon cried out joyfully, broke free from Mei'er's arms, and plunged into the golden light. Instantly, the golden light dissipated, and Li Qiang grinned as he hugged the little Sea Demon, saying, "Big brother, Mei'er, hehe, I almost didn't see you! Haha." He seemed very happy; this trip to the secret cave had been extremely dangerous, but the rewards were immense.
Mei'er followed the little Sea Demon and rushed over, wrapping her arms around Li Qiang's neck, neither letting go nor saying a word. Li Qiang smiled and patted her back, " Mei'er, aren't you a good girl...?"
White-Haired Wu Chen, interjected, "Why has it taken so long? What happened? Did you meet someone from the Buddha Sect?" He was indeed a senior expert; his guess was very accurate.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Brother, don't ask. It's really dangerous inside. If you're unlucky, you won't be able to get out." He didn't want to talk about meeting Elder Zhi because the hatred between Wu Chen and the Buddha Sect was hard to resolve. Li Qiang knew that the Buddha Sect would never appear again, so there was no point in discussing Buddha Sect.
Mei'er whispered in Li Qiang's ear, "Brother, don't leave Mei'er alone in the future, it will make Mei'er anxious. Brother, next time let Mei'er go to the Illusory Devil Pearl to cultivate in seclusion, so Mei'er can stay with you all the time."
"Hehe, okay, but I don't know how to get Mei'er in."
Wu Chen chuckled from the side, "It's very simple. I'll teach you a magic spell that will guarantee you can capture her." He made a hand gesture and uttered a spell.
Li Qiang asked in surprise, "Brother, how come you also know how to use Buddha Sect treasures?"
Wu Chen laughed triumphantly, "After fighting with the Buddha Sect for so long, who doesn't know what they're all about?"
Li Qiang asked, " Mei'er, do you want to go in now?"
Mei'er giggled and said, "Okay, I'll go in with Blue Light."
Wu Chen hurriedly stopped her, saying, "Don't go in, don't go in now. Wait until I have time, little girl, then you can go in. The Illusory Devil Pearl has absorbed countless souls and Nascent Soul souls. If you go in now, you won't be able to handle it. If the owner of the Illusory Devil Pearl helps you, there won't be any problem."
Mei'er stuck out her tongue in fright and said sweetly, "Thank you for the reminder, old man. Mei'er is most afraid of fighting." After saying that, she leaped onto Li Qiang's shoulder, still shrinking into a tiny little girl.
Li Qiang asked, "Which way should we go? Does Big Brother know?"
"Go to the passage on the left. Brother, how did you get your hands on the Golden Lotus Jade Throne? Only a handful of the most powerful figures in the Buddha Sect possess such a treasure. It seems they're all truly finished, which is why they left this treasure in the secret cave."
Li Qiang smiled but didn't answer, changing the subject instead. "Brother, do you know about the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch?"
Wu Chen shook his head and said, "What kind of guy is that? He's got quite the nerve."
Mei'er asked, "Is there any connection between the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch and the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand? Brother, where did you hear that from?"
Li Qiang now knew that after Li Yuwei fell into demonic possession, only the Buddha Sect sect members and he himself understood his origins; no one else could possibly know. He said, " The Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand is the second Primordial Spirit of the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch, and it is said that he is about to be born."
Although Wu Chen didn't know what the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch was, he was very familiar with the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand. Now that he heard that the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand was the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch's second Primordial Spirit, he asked, "The demon's dual Primordial Spirit? The demon is the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch? Who is it that has cultivated the demonic path and is so powerful? Could it be...?" He had a vague feeling of unease.
The three people and one beast flew forward along the passage.
Li Qiang suddenly stopped and said, "There are traces here again. This person is strange; he seems very familiar with this environment." They had been wandering around the ruins for a long time, and even Mei'er was getting a little disoriented. There were simply too many passages here, crisscrossing and layered, much more complicated than a maze. The traces that Li Qiang found were the same ones they had seen before entering the Great Illusion Buddha Realm; they were clearly traces left by cultivators.
Wu Chen nodded and said, "This person must be injured; it seems they flew a distance before landing on the ground."
Mei'er said, "Look at that wall, those are the handprints left by that person."
Li Qiang looked at the handprint, pondered for a while, but still couldn't figure it out. So he laughed and said, "What are we doing here? It seems like we're tracking this person. Hehe, let's figure out how to get out of here first, instead of wasting our time wandering around."
Wu Chen also realized what was going on and laughed loudly, "Haha, brother is right! Alas! Curiosity really is a killer. Let's not waste any more time, let's go!"
Fortunately, Mei'er had come down from the ruins before, and she had spent a lot of time and effort to get inside, so she was relatively familiar with the layout. The three of them found a large altar, Mei'er shouted, "This is the Great Worship Altar! Mei'er knows the way out!" As long as she found a landmark, she immediately made sense of her way.
She leaped into the air, giggling, " Mei'er, lead the way, brothers, please follow!"
The path wound its way up and down, left and right, Mei'er seemed very familiar with it. In fact, these were all passages she had planned to pass through before, and she knew them by heart. Even so, it still took the three of them a long time. They encountered a few ordinary formations along the way, but with a grandmaster of formations like Wu Chen by their side, they passed through them effortlessly. Wu Chen even gave Li Qiang some pointers on the art of formations.
A wide passageway appeared before them. Mei'er exclaimed excitedly, "We've reached the top floor!"
Li Qiang was also very happy and laughed, "Hehe, let's go up first and talk about it later. I've never been to the Wild Plains before."
Just as Wu Chen was about to speak, the entire ruins suddenly began to shake. Mei'er, being timid, darted back to Li Qiang's shoulder like an arrow and whispered, "What's wrong?" Now, at the slightest disturbance, she immediately returned to Li Qiang's shoulder, as if that was where she felt safe.
The tremors were like the earth splitting open, and large chunks of rock fell with the force, crashing down into the passage with a series of loud bangs. Li Qiang raised his hand and cleaved away the falling rocks, thinking with alarm, "Could it be that a demon has been unleashed? Oh dear, I'm not ready."
The walls of the passageway made a cracking sound. Everyone knew that the passageway was reinforced with secret methods, so it was generally impossible for cracks to appear.
Mei'er cried out, "Listen... it's thunder!"
Li Qiang shouted, "Big brother, let's charge out!" The Star-Absorbing Sword appeared in response.
Wu Chen was extremely bold. He neither wore armor nor used his flying sword, and replied, "Alright, let's go! Huh? Brother, you actually know True Illusion Sword Qi, I really didn't expect that..."
Mei'er that he still had the leisure to care about Li Qiang's Sword Mist at this critical moment, Mei'er couldn't help but admire him; a master is indeed different from others.
The faint rumble of thunder could be heard from above. With each clap of thunder, the passage shook violently, dust filled the air, and loose stones rained down from above with a "clatter."
Li Qiang shouted, " Mei'er, point the way! Brother, let's go!" He took the lead and rushed forward.
Wu Chen followed closely behind, still thinking to himself: Fu Shan's underling is amazing in every way; he actually knows this legendary Swordsmanship.
Mei'er cried out, "Everyone be careful, your power will weaken once you go up..." Wu Chen and Li Qiang didn't understand what she meant.
Wu Chen, "Is that the exit ahead?"
Mei'er said, "Go through that hexagonal skylight, and you'll reach the ground." The passage shook violently again, more soil and rocks fell down, and the thunder became even clearer.
Li Qiang exclaimed in surprise, "It seems like they're fighting with magical Law Treasure outside! Let's hurry!"
The three of them rushed up the vertical skylight, and the moment they reached the ground, they all felt their bodies sink.
Li Qiang shouted, "What the hell is going on?"
Wu Chen replied, "It's been cursed up there, hmm, my power has been reduced by at least a third. It's alright, it's just a little more strenuous!" Only then did the two understand what Mei'er had said earlier.
The Buddha Sect ruins on the ground covered a vast area. As Li Qiang looked around, he saw only broken walls and ruins, stretching as far as the eye could see. In the distance, the sky was filled with countless people, and the thunder and lightning were deafening. The crisscrossing, multicolored Sword Qi was dazzling.
Wu Chen exclaimed in surprise, "How come there are so many cultivators gathered here?" He couldn't help but let out a long howl.
Several cultivators immediately flew over at high speed. Li Qiang thought to himself, "Brother must be really bored." They went to meet them. Li Qiang didn't recognize any of the people who came, didn't know which sect they belonged to, and their clothes were also unfamiliar.
Mei'er whispered in Li Qiang's ear, "Judging from their attire, they seem to be cultivators from Sealed Fate Planet..."
Wu Chen's long hair fluttered as she instantly appeared in front of the cultivators. Li Qiang, who couldn't teleport, hurriedly followed.
Anyone who cultivates understands what teleportation means; it requires a cultivation level of at least the Spirit Severing Realm. A person with such cultivation is undoubtedly a grandmaster in the Cultivation Realm.
Wu Chen asked arrogantly, "What are you doing? Who are you people?"
The cultivators, presumably on outer perimeter guard duty, recognized Wu Chen's power upon seeing his teleportation and said respectfully, "We are cultivators from Sealed Fate Planet." Pointing to the figures in the air, they added, "They are all experts who have come from various places..."
Li Qiang arrived just then and stood quietly to the side, listening to their conversation.
It turned out that a traitor from Heavenly Halberd Peak had destroyed the crystal tablet that bound Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch, releasing him. This was immediately discovered by the experts guarding Heavenly Halberd Peak, who swiftly issued the most urgent " Heavenly Summons Order " in the Cultivation Realm and activated another backup formation to trap the ancestor inside the cave. However, this could only temporarily imprison him; it wouldn't last long, as Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch's strength allowed him to break free quickly.
The Heavenly Summons Order is one of the three great summoning orders in the Cultivation Realm. It signifies the imminent arrival of a great calamity, and cultivators from all major sects must drop everything and rush to the scene upon receiving the order. A portion of the cultivators, approximately five or six hundred, have already arrived, and more are continuously arriving. However, strangely enough, so far, not many cultivation masters have arrived. There are no more than ten experts who have reached the Leaving the Body Realm, only three super experts at the Spirit Severing Realm (including Wu Chen, who just arrived), and not a single expert at the Body Integration Realm.
Fortunately, the ancestor has not yet come out. What is emerging from the cave now are monsters cultivated by the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch, who are fighting against the cultivators outside.
These cultivators, whose cultivation levels were relatively low and who had not yet reached the Nascent Soul Realm, were assigned to guard and receive people on the perimeter. Li Qiang looked around and, sure enough, saw flashes of sword light in the distance.
Wu Chen nodded and said, "Very good, we've also come to exterminate demons." He was too lazy to explain to them where he came from.
One of the cultivators asked, "May I ask which sect you belong to? What are your names? We'd like to announce your arrival."
Li Qiang said, "We are from the Chongxuan Sect. This is White-Haired Wu Chen, and my name is Li Qiang."
The cultivators were all stunned. White-Haired Wu Chen? One of the legendary seven masters? His reputation in the Cultivation Realm was legendary. Who among the disciples of famous sects didn't know him? Li Qiang was also a well-known figure in the Cultivation Realm. Others didn't know how high his cultivation level was, but all his friends were famous figures in the Cultivation Realm.
The cultivators exchanged glances, and one of them said, "Please wait a moment, seniors." He raised his hand and sent out a fire hawk, which rapidly ascended into the sky and exploded, emitting a series of loud bangs. This was their agreed-upon signal, indicating that a super expert had arrived. Immediately, seven or eight sword lights appeared and flew quickly toward them.
Among the people who came, Li Qiang recognized one of them—it was the Divine Envoy Kaben. He greeted him with a smile.
Upon seeing Li Qiang Divine Envoy Kaben couldn't help but smile. He greatly admired Li Qiang's magnanimity; despite such a major conflict with Heavenly Halberd Peak, he still rushed here to help. In fact, Li Qiang had come to the Wild Plains Ruins by chance.
Divine Envoy Kaben laughed, "Boss, that's great! You've arrived too. Who is this senior? Could you introduce him?"
Wu Chen turned to look at Li Qiang and asked, "Boss? Little brother, how many men did you bring? Calling you boss? Hehe, sounds pretty cool."
Li Qiang, always one for his own good, grinned and said, " Divine Envoy Kaben, hehe, this is my elder brother, White-Haired Wu Chen from the Chongxuan Sect." He added, "Brother, how about I do it for you, so you can have some fun?"
The cultivators who flew over to greet him were all leaders who had already arrived. Upon hearing the White-Haired Wu Chen," they were all unanimously taken aback. Divine Envoy Kaben couldn't help but smile wryly. This Li Qiang was truly something else; every time he appeared, he was accompanied by an extraordinary figure. Last time it was Qi Junsha, and this time it was White-Haired Wu Chen. He hurriedly introduced himself and bowed: "Envoy Kaben of the Great God Kanbo'er greets Senior."
Wu Chen was a very proud and vain person. Seeing the Divine Envoy Kaben so respectful, he nodded and said, "Hmm, never mind. The Great God Kanbo'er of the Tanbang Continent? I seem to remember it was the Great God Tanqi'er. Why the change?"
The Divine Envoy Kaben, felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly bowed, saying, " The Great God Tanqi'er is from the previous generation and has long since gone out to cultivate in seclusion. Now, the position has been passed on to the Great God Kanbo'er."
The others also stepped forward to pay their respects and state their identities and sects. They were Lu Chengchao, the second gatekeeper of Heavenly Halberd Peak; Ming Qi, the ninth gatekeeper; Chen Zhili of Sealed Fate Planet Hundred Swords Gate Sect; and Shi Qingming, the Abyssal Cavern Sect. Each of them was accompanied by a disciple, who also paid their respects to Wu Chen in accordance with their elders.
After exchanging greetings, everyone felt uneasy in the presence of Wu Chen, a legendary master.
Li Qiang noticed that none of the major sects had come, which he found very strange. He asked Divine Envoy Kaben, " Kaben, has my master arrived? Has anyone else come?"
"I don't know where Senior Qi is. Everyone else went to the Ladu Kingdom. They said the boss ordered them to gather there. Only Elder Geng is here."
Li Qiang laughed and said, " That Old Madman wants to fight. Hey, what are so many people fighting over there?"
Lu Chengchao of Heavenly Halberd Peak seized the opportunity to interject, "They are eliminating the monsters emerging from Heavenly Halberd Peak cave and some insignificant demonic souls. Senior Li, Heavenly Halberd Peak will not forgive the offenses committed by your disciples Long Qianyue and Ming Lingzi last time. Now that Long Qianyue has been imprisoned, I apologize for their offense."
Li Qiang was slightly taken aback. He didn't know that Nashan had caused a great disturbance in the Heavenly Road Grassland, which frightened the Divine Envoy Kaben and the cultivators of Heavenly Halberd Peak, who discussed it many times. Kaben insisted that the people of Heavenly Halberd Peak should apologize to Li Qiang, and he promised to mediate.
Divine Envoy Kaben said, " Heavenly Halberd Peak didn't know that our leader was a distinguished guest, which is why this misunderstanding occurred. Our leader, please forgive us for what you have done for Kaben..."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Forget it, that was a misunderstanding. I don't want to be fighting all the time."
Divine Envoy Kaben was immediately relieved. "Hey, I told you, the boss wouldn't care, hehe."
Lu Chengchao said with a wry smile, "But that wretched Ming Lingzi escaped to the bottom of the ruins and caused a catastrophe! Alas! He actually broke the sealing crystal tablet, and the already unstable restraint was completely broken by him. The demon is about to be born."
Wu Chen suddenly said, "So the marks below were left by that kid..."
Li Qiang also realized what was happening and said, "It was him! No wonder he looked flustered from those marks. What a pity, what a pity..." No one could understand their conversation.
Shi Qingming, the leader of the Abyssal Cavern Sect, asked, "Senior Li, have you gone down to investigate?"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Master Shi, you're too kind. I came to the ruins because I was tracking the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand, but I couldn't find any trace of it, so I came up here."
Mei'er huddled in the little Sea Demon's feathers, having no desire to meet these people, and began cultivating on her own.
Another fiery hawk took off in the distance. Divine Envoy Kaben chuckled, "I wonder who's coming, boss? Shall we go take a look?"