The Valley of Fallen Demons Opens

Chapter 62 The Valley of Fallen Demons Opens (4,000 words)

The female cultivator's remnant soul seemed to have reminisced enough about the past. She returned to her aloof appearance, floated in front of Yu Zhao and the other two, circled them once, and after looking them over, clicked her tongue in amazement: "Interesting. You three are truly interesting. You are actually three chosen ones. Three chosen ones have appeared in one era. What a great era of contention!"

Upon hearing the term "Chosen One" again, Yu Zhao's interest was piqued. Seeing that the other party seemed to have no ill intentions, she relaxed a bit and asked, "May I ask, senior, what is the Chosen One?"

"Those who follow the will of Heaven and are favored by Heaven are called the chosen ones."

Following the will of Heaven? Isn't something amiss with cultivators following the will of Heaven?

Why does this sound like a worker chosen by fate?

"Will that chosen one perish prematurely?"

Yu Zhao pressed on, for she had not forgotten what Old Deng Qingfeng had said before he died. If she was not mistaken, Old Deng was practicing a technique to collect the souls of chosen ones.

Since they were all workers of the Heavenly Dao, how come so many of them were killed by Qingfeng Laodeng?

This piqued Yu Zhao's curiosity.

"Yes," the female cultivator's remnant soul answered decisively, "but apart from being a chosen one of destiny, no great cultivator would bother to kill a chosen one of destiny; that would incur karmic consequences."

Furthermore, cultivators at the same level, apart from being both chosen ones, also find it difficult to kill another chosen one.

Therefore, few chosen ones perish along the way.

Yu Zhao:

Then you have a limited perspective. I've seen several people perish along the way.

While inwardly grumbling, Yu Zhao gleaned a crucial piece of information from the other party's words: the Chosen One's identity was indeed as she suspected—a mere worker working for the Heavenly Dao.

The Heavenly Dao granted some benefits, but not many, which shows that the Heavenly Dao cannot interfere too much with the fate of cultivators.

Yu Zhao keenly sensed that the identity of the Chosen One was a trap. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Once you have this identity, you'll inevitably have to do something for the Heavenly Dao.

If someone cultivates immortality but still has to work for the Heavenly Dao, then what's the point of cultivating immortality?

Thinking of this, Yu Zhao humbly asked the female cultivator's remnant soul, "May I ask, senior, is there any way to relinquish this identity as the Chosen One?"

"ha?"

The female cultivator's remnant soul was completely dumbfounded. This was the first time she had ever heard such a thing. How could this child ask such a question, abandoning the identity of the chosen one of destiny?

"No, but if you can cultivate to the [First Realm], then you can transcend it, and the Heavenly Dao of that world will naturally be unable to bind you."

Although she couldn't understand what the little girl was thinking, the female cultivator's remnant soul still answered her question.

The main reason is that she hasn't encountered any living beings in a long time, and since she finally met an interesting person, she's naturally willing to chat more.

The words "First Realm" spoken by the female cultivator's remnant soul made Yu Zhao frown slightly; she had heard this term again.

The last time she heard about it was from the mysterious bearded senior. She was curious about what the first realm was, but the bearded senior didn't say.

Hearing this again, Yu Zhao naturally wouldn't let the opportunity pass, and blurted out, "Senior, what is this [First Realm]?"

"The first realm is not a cultivation realm, but rather—you know what the Small Heavenly Circuit is, right?"

"I know." Yu Zhao nodded.

The term "small circulation" is used in cultivation. In this world, one officially enters the ranks of cultivators after spiritual energy circulates through one small circulation within the body.

That is, the Qi Refining Realm.

Seeing Yu Zhao nod, the female cultivator's remnant soul met the three pairs of bright eyes of Yu Zhao and the others, and she suddenly had a feeling of teaching her disciples in the past.

She hadn't felt this way in many years, which made her think of her apprentices for a moment, wondering if they were still alive.

Suppressing her thoughts, the female cultivator's remnant soul continued, "This [First Realm] is similar to the Small Heavenly Circuit. After circulating spiritual energy through the Small Heavenly Circuit, one becomes a cultivator. And if a cultivator completes all realms and perfects them, one reaches the [First Realm]."

"Does Senior mean that after reaching the Mahayana stage and ascending to the [First Realm]?" Zhang Yanqiu couldn't help but chime in. This was the first time he had heard such a statement, and he was quite interested.

"The Mahayana stage? You're dreaming. The so-called completion of cultivation means reaching the Golden Immortal realm. In my time, that was called the Golden Immortal realm. I don't know what you call this realm in your time."

These words stunned Zhang Yanqiu. A Golden Immortal? When would one be able to cultivate to that level?

No, it's a question of whether it can be repaired at all.

According to ancient records from the Dragon and Tiger Sacred Land, even the founding patriarch of the Dragon and Tiger Sacred Land only reached this level.

"Senior, how powerful are cultivators at the [First Realm]?"

Unlike Zhang Yanqiu's astonishment, Yu Zhao had no clear concept of this at all, so she didn't think it was anything earth-shattering. She was more concerned about how strong this [First Realm] was.

"It cannot be spoken of." The female cultivator's remnant soul shook her head. This involved an extraordinary secret, and even though she was dead, she dared not speak of it lightly. The karmic consequences were too great for her to bear. She was dead, but what if she had descendants?

If such a huge karmic consequence were to fall upon future generations, it would be too late for them to even cry.

Besides, she plans to reincarnate and start anew, so how can she leave behind such a heavy karmic burden for herself?

"All you need to know is that once you reach the [First Realm], it will be easy for you to renounce your status as the Chosen One."

The female cultivator's remnant soul could be seen as dangling a pie in the sky for Yu Zhao. It wasn't out of pure kindness, but simply because she was bored and wanted to amuse the child.

If the other party's resolve to pursue the Dao truly strengthens because of her words today, and they actually reach the [First Realm], then they will owe her a debt of karma.

In the future, to repay her for the karma she has accumulated, we must help her cross over to the Pure Land.

Not just this little girl, but the other two present were the same.

As for whether they will renege on their debt later?

The female cultivators' remnant souls weren't worried about this at all. Once they truly reached that level, they would understand that karma must be repaid, and they couldn't escape it even if they wanted to.

Therefore, for the female cultivator's remnant soul, this was an extremely profitable deal. She only said a few words and made a small, seemingly insignificant move, which resulted in a huge profit, or if it didn't, she could consider it a good deed.

So, in order to carry out the "good deed" to the end, the female cultivator's remnant soul raised her hand and flipped her wrist in mid-air, and three drops of colorful water appeared in her palm. "Meeting is fate. I'll give you these three drops of Heavenly Spring Water. You are really lucky. If you had come earlier, the remaining divine consciousness of my corpse would have crushed you."

If you arrive too late, my remnant soul will have dissipated, and you will not be able to obtain the true Heavenly Spring Water.

Not too early, not too late, just right—don't you think this is incredibly fate?

As she spoke, the female cultivator's remnant soul wore a kind smile, just like the kind old lady next door.

Her words seemed to explain why those people outside died; they simply arrived at the wrong time, just in time for the final outburst of the female cultivator's remaining divine consciousness.

But Yu Zhao always felt it wasn't that simple.

However, with such an opportunity before her, there was no reason not to seize it. She bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your kindness, senior. Is there anything we three can do for you?"

"If there is a possibility of reincarnation for me, if you three young friends ever see my reincarnation in the future, please guide me through it."

Hearing her say that, Yu Zhao was finally relieved. It was good that there were demands; she liked this kind of exchange with a clear price tag the most.

After the three of them filled three drops of Heavenly Spring Water into a jade bottle, they bowed to the female cultivator's remnant soul together, saying, "Senior, rest assured, if we ever see your reincarnation in the future, we will definitely save you."

"That's excellent."

The female cultivator's remnant soul gradually dissipated. Before disappearing, she let out a final sigh: "Tens of thousands of years of cultivation, all for naught. Where does this path to immortality lead?"

As the sigh faded, her remnant soul and her corpse turned into dust. Seeing this, Shen Yunshu truly felt sorry.

She was even thinking of using the corpse of this mysterious powerful figure to refine weapons for her senior sister.

At this moment, Shen Yunshu noticed that Zhang Yanqiu was crying. She was quite puzzled and gave him a disdainful look, asking, "Why are you crying?"

"I was saddened by the senior's last words. The path to immortality is too long, so long that we can't see the end. I'm afraid that in the end we'll be left with nothing but regrets."

Zhang Yanqiu said sadly with tears in her eyes.

At this moment, Yu Zhao spoke up, saying, "What's wrong with not seeing the end? If you can't see the end, you can keep building. It's only when you reach the end that you'll truly feel despair."

"That's right, that's right," Shen Yunshu chimed in, agreeing with her.

The two women's words stunned Zhang Yanqiu instantly; he had never thought about this issue from this perspective before.

For a moment, he was somewhat at a loss.

A moment later, he raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of his eyes, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the two women, and said, "My two senior uncles are very wise. Yanqiu has learned a lot from them."

At this moment, Zhang Yanqiu realized the difference between himself and these two people. Their hearts were as clear as a mirror, untouched by dust, and their Dao hearts were as hard as a rock.

"Junior Uncle, Junior Uncle Shen, Yanqiu has gained a lot from this trip. He has gained some insights and wants to leave to return to the sect for seclusion."

He felt he saw hope of breaking through to the Golden Core realm, and that this seclusion would surely allow him to enter the Golden Core realm in one fell swoop.

Besides, he already had enough of the treasure that was the Heavenly Spring Water. He remembered his master's words about not being greedy.

"What are your two senior uncles' plans next?"

He wanted to leave, but since the three of them came in together, he naturally had to ask his two teammates what they thought.

Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu exchanged a glance and made up their minds. Yu Zhao then decided on the next move, "Let's leave."

Since even the "green tea" girl thinks they should leave, it means they've already obtained the greatest opportunity from this ruin, so there's no point in staying any longer.

So the three of them started walking out of the cave. Once the mysterious female cultivator's remnant soul disappeared, the cave was left unattended, and the exit naturally appeared.

The three quickly left the cave and flew towards the exit of the ruins.

On the way, Shen Yunshu saw a figure and asked Yu Zhao, "Senior Sister, look, isn't that our Master?"

Yu Zhao looked in the direction she pointed, and with a sweep of his divine sense, he found that it was indeed true.

The other party was still some distance away from them, and was now flying towards them at high speed.

Upon getting closer, Qingxuan saw that they were indeed her two disciples, and she immediately put on a stern face: "You two really don't know your place. Do you think you can just come into a ruin where even Golden Core cultivators can enter?"

"Master~"

Shen Yunshu instantly switched to her soft and sweet image, grabbed Qingxuan's arm and started to act coquettishly, "My senior sister and I were worried about you, so we came in with Senior Brother Zhang to look for you."

Look, this is what the art of speaking is all about.

Qingxuan actually believed it. Seeing her little disciple's adorable appearance and the joy in her eldest disciple's eyes, she immediately lost her temper. While rubbing her little disciple's head, she said gently, "The ruins here have changed. I suspect that they have overlapped with the Fallen Demon Valley. Zhao'er, don't hide your trump cards. We need to hurry up and break through the ruins, otherwise we may all be in danger."

Qingxuan is really panicked now. After escaping from the tiger's mouth, she has been running around trying to find a way out.

She didn't find the path, but she discovered something else, which led to this deduction.

Before Yu Zhao could react, Zhang Yanqiu's face turned deathly pale upon hearing the words "Fallen Demon Valley." As a disciple of a major sect, he knew all too well what Fallen Demon Valley was.

"How is this possible? How could these ruins overlap with the Fallen Demon Valley? The Fallen Demon Valley is clearly far away from here."

Zhang Yanqiu could hardly believe it.

"I also hope that I am wrong, but judging from the current situation, I am not wrong. I have seen the Shadow Demon. Young friend Zhang should know that it is a unique creature of the Fallen Demon Valley."

"No one knows for sure how big the Fallen Demon Valley is, or how many secrets it holds. Who knows how these ruins ended up connecting to the Fallen Demon Valley?"

As a Golden Core cultivator, and one of the top Golden Core cultivators at that, Qingxuan's strength and vision are absolutely sufficient.

Hearing her confident words, Zhang Yanqiu had to admit, no matter how skeptical she was, that it was probably the truth.

Without any hesitation, he immediately crushed a jade pendant hanging at his waist. The moment the pendant shattered, a phantom appeared in front of Zhang Yanqiu. This phantom had white hair and a long beard, and looked like an immortal with a refined and otherworldly air.

Upon seeing this illusory figure, Qingxuan dared not be negligent and immediately bowed to his two disciples, one in each hand, pressing down on their necks.

Zhang Yanqiu then performed a disciple's salute and said, "Master, save me! I'm trapped in some ruins, which seem to connect to the Fallen Demon Valley!"

Upon hearing this, the phantom's eyes narrowed. After carefully sensing the surroundings, he confirmed that his disciple was right; this place was indeed connected to the Fallen Demon Valley.

Without any hesitation, he immediately made a sword-finger gesture with his hands and slashed in the air, creating a crack out of thin air.

After doing all this, the illusory figure smiled and instructed Zhang Yanqiu, "Go back to the mountain quickly after you come out. You've had enough fun this time."

"I will obey my master's instructions."

The white-haired phantom nodded, then vanished and transformed back into the jade pendant.

"Let's go, my master has opened a spatial rift."

As he spoke, Zhang Yanqiu stepped into the spatial rift, with Qingxuan and his two disciples following closely behind.

When she finally stepped back onto solid ground, Yu Zhao stared dumbfounded at the eerie valley before her. "Zhang Yanqiu, is your master sure he opened the Gate of Life and not the Gate of Hell for you?"

They've driven us all the way to the Fallen Demon Valley!

Is your master reliable or not?

This guy's trying to screw you over!

Gan!

Yu Zhao wanted to kill someone; he hadn't been this irritable in a long time.

Zhang Yanqiu was also confused; he didn't understand what was going on.

How could Master have made such a big mistake?

At the same time, the Celestial Master, who was in the Dragon Tiger Holy Land, suddenly had a sudden inspiration. He did some calculations with his fingers and his expression changed drastically.

"Oh no! The spatial rift has malfunctioned! Who is plotting against my disciple?!"