Xuantian Immortal Cultivation Record

The mist in the valley was ordinary and not dangerous. However, since Ping Wu Hai said there was an inexplicable force, he had to be careful and prepared.

After traveling for several miles, the valley gradually widened. Among the giant rocks, short plants grew in profusion. Some were very weak, but others exuded a strong vitality.

After ten miles, the mist gradually dissipated, revealing the true face of the valley. In the very center was a deep trench, about a hundred zhang wide, extending from their feet like a scar cut by a sharp blade. Turbid air billowed from the trench, but no vegetation grew there. On either side of the trench, up to the towering mountain walls, were wide plains of more than ten miles, covered with lush forests and a chilling aura.

Occasionally, they saw dazzling and colorful exotic flowers, their petals opening and closing as if breathing, the surrounding turbid air gathering and dissipating with each breath.

This scene reminded Zhang Yuanjing of the demonic plant he had obtained in the Nether Earth. In terms of aura, this flower was vastly different from that demonic plant, but in terms of mechanism, there was no essential difference. Both were strange objects of heaven and earth born from turbid air.

"The world says that demonic cultivators also seek external objects. I originally thought they were just magic stones like spirit stones, but I didn't expect there to be so many demonic plants. Truly, heaven creates everything and allows it to exist. The enduring existence of demonic cultivators has its reasons," Fire Crow Daoist said, examining the surroundings and sighing with emotion.

Seeing that he was not just making idle conversation, and knowing that he was likely having some insights, Zhang Yuanjing smiled and said, "Senior is right. The path of demonic cultivation also has its unique aspects. Otherwise, how could it be passed down in this world? I have read the scriptures of the Candle God Sect. Although many of the terms used are different from Daoist scriptures, the principles within are similar. Whether it is spiritual energy or turbid energy, both are born from the same world and follow the same laws. Tracing back to their roots, they should converge at one point."

"Yuanjing, you truly deserve to be a disciple of a great sect. You have a broad mind and a clear head, without sectarian bias, and you only seek the Dao. This old Daoist is inferior to you!" Fire Crow Daoist praised.

Zhang Yuanjing said with embarrassment, "Senior, you are too kind. This is also because of Zhang Xuan. At first, she insisted on cultivating, but unfortunately, she had no spiritual roots, so I had to teach her demonic techniques. Compared to Daoist cultivation, which has many restrictions, demonic techniques are open to all. Anyone with a strong physique and a firm will can practice them!"

He paused slightly and continued, "This time, I followed those Candle God Sect cultivators to the Sacred Fire Valley in the Boundary Mountain and saw tens of thousands of mortals practicing demonic techniques. The vast majority of them have no spiritual roots and would not be able to cultivate at all in other places. But here, they can obtain a glimmer of hope. Is the person who created these demonic techniques meritorious or sinful?"

Fire Crow Daoist exclaimed in surprise and said in a deep voice, "No wonder the Candle God Sect once claimed to have a million followers. If their recruitment of disciples is on this scale, then it is more than a million! In this old Daoist's opinion, whether it is meritorious or sinful depends on who is judging. If I were a person without spiritual roots and could practice demonic techniques, I would naturally be grateful and wish I could kowtow to the founder of demonic techniques three times and nine times and chant their name day and night. But after all, I am a Daoist Qi Refiner, so I naturally have no good feelings toward demonic techniques. If in the future the demonic cultivators become powerful and compete with the Daoist cultivators for this world, I will rush up and fight them to the death, like mortal enemies, with no end in sight."

Zhang Yuanjing suddenly thought of those demonic cultivators who had become vassals of the Abyss of Heavenly Demons and shook his head, saying, "Unless the environment of heaven and earth changes drastically, it is impossible for the demonic cultivators of this world to compete with the Daoist cultivators for dominance."

Now that there was no mist, he asked Zhang San to put away the protective power, held the Refined Yang Umbrella in his hand, and prepared for any unexpected needs.

Fire Crow Daoist looked at this umbrella with a powerful aura and said after careful consideration, "That's right. However, now that we have arrived in the territory of the Candle God Sect, we two Daoist cultivators cannot compete with the demonic cultivators. This trip to the Candle God Sect should focus on persuasion and trade, and try not to fight. Of course, if necessary, we must show our strength, and we may even have to ask Senior Divine Cauldron to take action."

Zhang Yuanjing's body stiffened, not expecting that Fire Crow Daoist still regarded the Thick Earth Nurturing Divine Cauldron as the reliance for this trip. He said vaguely, "That is natural."

Then he changed the subject and pointed to the winding canyon ahead, saying, "My Profound Heaven Classic records that the Bewildering Soul Valley leads to the heart of the Candle God Sect, but the specific situation is not detailed. This time, listening to the demonic cultivators of the Candle God Sect and that Ping Wu Hai, this place actually leads to the Yin-Yang Eye Secret Realm, which is really unexpected. Before coming, True Man Tong said that the Yin-Yang Eye Secret Realm is in the core of the Candle God Sect, and without the mediation of the sect's high-level officials, one cannot enter. I think that the Candle God Sect must value such an important secret realm very much and would not allow Daoist cultivators to break in at will. Therefore, there may be other mysteries here, and it may not lead to the Yin-Yang Eye Secret Realm."

Fire Crow Daoist nodded, "I know about this. If we can directly reach the Yin-Yang Eye Secret Realm, that would be very good. If not, we will first find a way to enter the vital area of the Candle God Sect, find Zhang Xuan, and then consider the subsequent matters."

The two spoke as they walked, gradually deepening into the canyon.

The deeper they went into the Boundary Mountain, the denser the turbid air in the canyon became, and the more lush the demonic plants grew, densely packed together, obscuring the valley and making it dim and dark. Only occasionally did a few rays of sunlight leak down, letting people know that it was still daytime.

From time to time, ferocious beasts would rush out. Some had two legs, some had four legs, and some had six or eight legs. Some were not much different from demon beasts, while others were strange and grotesque, very different from ordinary demon beasts, and even resembled tree branches, flowers, and trees, making them extremely difficult to distinguish among the demonic plants, but all of them had the aura of turbid air.

These ferocious beasts could be called demonic beasts. They were very sensitive to the aura on Zhang Yuanjing and Fire Crow Daoist, and their gazes toward the two were full of disgust and hatred. Even some Foundation Establishment Realm demonic beasts would pounce on them to bite them as soon as they saw them.

The two did not attack casually. They avoided low-level demonic beasts if they could, and left if they could. Only when they encountered Saint Core Realm demonic beasts did they use their strongest moves to quickly kill them, and then quickly rush forward.

Several days later, the two had traveled nearly 200,000 miles in the canyon. The vegetation in the valley became more and more lush, but the demonic beasts gradually stopped appearing.

This was obviously abnormal. The two investigated many times but never found the reason.

Fire Crow Daoist was prudent. He launched his flying sword out of the canyon and searched the surrounding mountains on both sides, discovering that there were no living creatures within a few dozen miles. But further away, he could see traces of demonic beasts.

He returned to the valley and said to Zhang Yuanjing with some reluctance, "Yuanjing, this place hides an unknown danger, perhaps beyond what the two of us can withstand. It is better to retreat first and find another way. This Boundary Mountain spans five million miles, and there must be multiple passages into the heart of the Candle God Sect in such a long mountain range."

Zhang Yuanjing shook his head and said, "Senior, the situation in this Boundary Mountain is unclear, and there are no maps available. If we walk around randomly, we will easily fall into danger. Besides, there are countless ferocious beasts in such a large mountain. How easy would it be to force our way through? Although this canyon is strange, since the sect said it can lead to the heart of the Candle God Sect, it means there must be a feasible path. We have already traveled to this place, and I am afraid we have reached an important place. Let's move forward. If there is really an irresistible danger, it will not be too late to retreat."

Fire Crow Daoist smiled self-deprecatingly, "Alas, this old Daoist ultimately has a mind for gains and losses and is somewhat at a loss for what to do. Let's limit ourselves to the spiritual treasure held by Yuanjing. If it can block it, we will move forward. If it also feels danger, then don't hesitate and immediately turn back."

This time, he did not mention the Divine Cauldron again, probably feeling that that one was not someone who could be invited out at will and did not want Zhang Yuanjing to take too much risk.

The two then ignored the abnormality in the valley and quickly flew forward on their flying swords.

Zhang Yuanjing sacrificed the Refined Yang Umbrella and instructed Zhang San to be responsible for vigilance.

In less than half an hour, they entered a deep cliff valley. On a dark stone wall on one side, dozens of large blood-red characters were written: "This valley leads to a vital area of this sect. Trespassers will be killed without mercy!"

The two exchanged a glance and stepped into the valley without hesitation. The cliffs on both sides were tightly embraced, with only a narrow path sloping downwards, leading to a low-lying area.

This place was very humid, with several streams converging and seeping into the muddy ground covered with deep grass and disappearing.

Ahead were countless towering and precipitous mountains. The canyon reached its end here.

Dense turbid air accumulated here, almost like mist. The two fully circulated their mana to resist the erosion of the turbid air, each holding a mid-grade spirit stone in their hands, constantly absorbing spiritual power.

Fire Crow Daoist said in surprise, "There is no passage here. What is the meaning of that warning message?"

Zhang Yuanjing extended his divine sense underground, but the turbid air was too thick to penetrate. He walked to the middle of the depression, waved his hand, and cast out a ball of mana, pulling out a patch of deep grass, revealing the black soil underneath. The soil was full of finger-sized holes, and turbid air flowed in and out of them.

"Could it be that the passage is hidden in the ground?" Fire Crow Daoist walked to Zhang Yuanjing's side and asked in a low voice.

Zhang Yuanjing's expression was solemn, and he said, "The turbid air below is very heavy. I am afraid there is a high-quality magic stone vein hidden there. The Candle God Sect should know about it, but I don't know why they didn't mine it here or set up a stronghold to guard it. What is the use of just posting a warning?"

Fire Crow Daoist said, "If the passage is below, then let's open it and take a look. Yuanjing, please step back."

Zhang Yuanjing wanted to dissuade him, but on second thought, they had already come to this place. If they gained nothing, Fire Crow Daoist would probably not be able to let it go. So he walked aside, communicated with Zhang San, and guarded the surroundings.

Fire Crow Daoist sacrificed the Xuan Iron Gourd, changed the magic formula, drove the big gourd to rise into the sky, and then turned its head and tail, spraying a fiery stream onto the black soil below.

Under the high-temperature burning, the turbid air in the ground quickly dissipated, and the black soil also dried up and loosened. After half a quarter of an hour, a large piece in the center of the depression collapsed, revealing a dark hole below.

Zhang Yuanjing extended his divine sense down. The hole was not deep, only five or six zhang deep, and there were no passages on either side.

"Let this old Daoist burn it again!"

Fire Crow Daoist was only one step away from the Great Perfection of the Golden Core Realm, and his cultivation was very profound. He immediately sent out mana like flowing water, driving the Xuan Iron Gourd to spray flames more vigorously, filling the cave and continuing to burn.

Before long, the black soil around the cave collapsed again, the opening doubled in size, and the depth also increased by several zhang.

Fire Crow Daoist still did not stop, continuing to urge the raging fire to burn.

The depression collapsed in circles. In the end, the entire depression became a cave, and the depth exceeded fifty zhang, and the turbid air flowing up and down increased several times.

Seeing that Fire Crow Daoist was consuming a lot of energy, Zhang Yuanjing was about to persuade him to stop temporarily when a rumbling sound suddenly came from the ground. The entire valley shook, and even the surrounding mountains could not stop trembling.

"Danger! Senior, quickly ascend into the sky!"

The two reacted quickly. The flying swords under their feet rushed into the sky, trying to get away from this place.

At this moment, a strong stream of air rose into the sky, instantly enveloping the two. This stream of air was formed by turbid air and was very violent. Enveloped in it, the two lost a lot of spiritual energy in just one breath, and their physical bodies were also in danger.

At this critical moment, Zhang Yuanjing hurriedly opened the Refined Yang Umbrella and ordered Zhang San to fully activate the protective power, protecting him and Fire Crow Daoist, and immediately breaking free from the entanglement of this force.

However, this force rushed out, only "exhaled" once, and after one breath, it sucked back, and before the Refined Yang Umbrella could protect the two of them to break through, it dragged them into the cave below.

The cave was extremely deep and had many forks. Inside, there was indeed a very large magic stone vein, and the rolling turbid air surged upward, pushing the two and the umbrella against the rocks above.

Zhang San was unable to take the two of them out of danger and could only release his protective power with all his strength to isolate the erosion of the turbid air.

Fire Crow Daoist transmitted his voice to Zhang Yuanjing: "Yuanjing, it is fate. This shows that this old Daoist has no chance to advance to the Nascent Soul Realm. Let this umbrella release me, and you escape on your own."

Zhang Yuanjing immediately shook his head and transmitted his voice back: "Senior, do not say such things again. If we are to escape, we will leave together!"

He communicated with Zhang San, asking if there was a way.

Zhang San conveyed his thoughts: "Master, if you want to forcibly break through this condensed turbid air and help Master and this old Daoist leave, Zhang San's current power is still difficult to do. If it is just Master alone, I can give it a try."

Zhang Yuanjing pondered for a moment and asked, "If you only protect the two of us from the erosion of turbid air, how long can you last?"

Zhang San said: "If it is just like this, I can probably last for three to five days."

Zhang Yuanjing asked again: "If I keep providing you with mid-grade spirit stones, how many days can you last?"

Zhang San said: "As long as the spirit stones do not run out, Zhang San can always protect Master and this old Daoist!"

"Then don't move for now, just isolate the erosion of turbid air!"

Zhang Yuanjing transmitted his voice to Fire Crow Daoist: "Senior, this umbrella can temporarily protect the two of us, and we can take the opportunity to escape when the turbid air here rushes out of the ground again."

The two waited for a month. During these thirty days, Zhang San devoured thousands of mid-grade spirit stones, firmly protecting the two of them.

On this day, the turbid air on the earth vein was probably reaching its limit. An unknown force surged from somewhere, pushing the turbid air and Zhang Yuanjing and Fire Crow Daoist trapped in it, rushing out.

However, the passage they were going to was not the one they were sucked into, but heading towards the southeast, traveling rapidly underground, clearly heading towards the other side of the Boundary Mountain.

During the rapid movement, the huge pulling force greatly increased the consumption of the Refined Yang Umbrella, and it was also difficult to steadily absorb the power of the spirit stones. After only half a quarter of an hour, Zhang San conveyed his thoughts, saying that his power was running out and he could not last long.

At this time, Zhang Yuanjing had no choice but to leave it to fate.

Before long, the air flow rushed upwards at an angle, and in a few breaths, it crossed a thousand zhang. Just as the two were feeling suffocated and Zhang San was in distress, a point of light appeared ahead and quickly enlarged.

With a bang, the two and the umbrella finally rushed out of the cave.