Chapter 890
Settlement and Cultivation: Undercurrents Begin
With a flash of light, Lu Qing and the others appeared in the plaza outside the Immortal Palace.
The light from the teleportation array gradually faded, and the figures of everyone appeared on the plaza.
The old doctor was immediately shocked by the scene before him.
In the distance, a magnificent celestial palace stands amidst the clouds and mist, resplendent in gold and jade, exuding an aura of grandeur.
The spiritual energy surrounding the celestial palace was so dense that it almost solidified, turning into a faint spiritual mist that flowed slowly through the air.
After inhaling the spiritual mist, one felt completely comfortable and refreshed.
"Is this the Guixu Secret Realm?" the old doctor murmured, his eyes filled with shock.
Compared to my hometown, the spiritual energy here is hundreds of times richer.
Although the spiritual energy in my hometown world has become much richer after these years of recovery, it is still only suitable for cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage.
However, it is still far inferior to the Guixu Secret Realm.
Here, even without deliberate cultivation, one can feel one's cultivation level slowly increasing simply by breathing.
Xiaoyan and Xiaobai were also shocked, staring blankly at the scene before them.
The imposing aura emanating from the distant celestial palace made them feel as insignificant as dust.
It was an indescribable sense of oppression, as if one were facing not a building, but a sleeping ancient behemoth.
The only thing I've gotten used to is Xiao Li.
It stood quietly on Lu Qing's shoulder, looking at the familiar scene before it, a hint of nostalgia flashing in its eyes.
Back then, it followed Lu Qing in this secret realm for decades, and even became a disciple of the old Azure Dragon, learning the Dao of Space from him.
It was quite familiar with everything here.
"As expected of a secret realm created by a Dao Transformation Immortal."
The old doctor couldn't help but sigh.
He could hardly imagine what kind of supernatural power could have created such a blessed land.
Lu Qing smiled slightly and said to everyone, "Let's go, I'll take you to meet some of the seniors here."
He led the group toward the celestial palace.
Cross the square, climb the steps, and enter the gate of the fairy palace.
Lu Qing had already refined the Immortal Palace, so those restrictions naturally wouldn't hinder them.
Along the way, the old doctor and Xiaoyan kept looking around at everything.
The exquisite carvings, the ancient runes, and the mysterious restrictions all amazed them.
Before we had gone far, a hearty laugh came from ahead.
"Aqing, you've come!"
The figure of the old Azure Dragon flew out from the depths of the Immortal Palace and landed in front of everyone.
Behind it, the black bull and the phoenix followed.
Old Canglong's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on the old doctor.
It looked at it for a moment, then lowered its head slightly as a sign of respect.
"Is this your master?"
Lu Qing nodded and introduced, "This is my master, Chen Songqing. These are my younger sister, Xiaoyan, and also Xiaobai and Wuxing."
As for Xiao Li, there's no need for introduction; it has already taken the initiative to step forward and greet the old Azure Dragon and the others.
Then Lu Qing introduced them to the old doctor: "Master, these three are seniors from the Guixu Secret Realm. This is Senior Old Azure Dragon, who is proficient in the Dao of Space."
This is Senior Mingfeng, who is skilled in the art of ice.
This is Senior Bull, who proved his Dao through strength; his power is formidable.
The old doctor quickly bowed and said, "Junior Chen Songqing greets the three seniors."
Old Canglong quickly said, "No need for formalities. You are Aqing's master. We can treat each other as equals."
Black Bull shouted, "Yes, yes, no need to be polite. Ah Qing is so powerful, his master must be extraordinary too."
Although Mingfeng did not speak, she nodded slightly to show respect.
They were actually a little surprised.
They originally thought that Lu Qing's lineage must be quite extensive, otherwise how could he have cultivated such an unprecedented genius?
After all, when he first entered the Guixu Secret Realm, his foundation was already incredibly solid. Such achievements could not have been cultivated by ordinary forces.
Unexpectedly, he came from a small world.
This further illustrates the terrifying nature of Lu Qing's cultivation talent.
The old doctor was also somewhat surprised.
He had thought these three senior beasts would be somewhat arrogant, but they turned out to be so approachable.
His impression of these three seniors immediately improved significantly.
Mingfeng's gaze swept over everyone.
When it saw Xiaoyan, its eyes suddenly lit up.
As an ice-type beast, it could sense that Xiao Yan's physique was quite special.
It was an innate, icy constitution, pure and profound, resonating subtly with its bloodline.
This physique is best suited for cultivating the lineage it represents.
Previously, when the old Azure Dragon took Xiao Li as his disciple, both it and the black bull were quite envious.
The old dragons have found successors, but they have yet to encounter a suitable and promising offspring.
Now, it has finally met one.
However, although she was tempted, Mingfeng did not immediately express her feelings.
After all, we've only just met, it's too early to bring up these things.
Moreover, Xiaoyan is Lu Qing's younger sister and also the senior doctor's junior. Whether she is willing to learn or not depends on her own wishes.
Anyway, Xiaoyan and the others will probably be in the secret realm for quite a while, so it can slowly get to know them and build rapport.
As Mingfeng pondered this in her heart, her gaze towards Xiaoyan softened even more.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the old dragon said, "Aqing, you should take your master and sister to settle in first. There are many cave dwellings on the second floor of the Immortal Palace. Let them choose whichever they like and live there as they please."
Lu Qing nodded and led the old doctor and the others toward the second level of the Immortal Palace.
The second level of the celestial palace is a vast space.
The spiritual energy here is much denser than outside, and the air is filled with spiritual mist, making it feel like a fairyland.
Immortal mountains float in mid-air, with flowing clouds and waterfalls above, just like a fairyland.
There are cave dwellings on the immortal mountain. Each cave dwelling is equipped with independent restrictions and formations to isolate external interference, allowing cultivators to cultivate in peace.
"Master, what do you think of this cave dwelling?"
Lu Qing pointed to a cave dwelling on a certain immortal mountain and asked.
The cave dwelling was built against the mountain, with a bamboo forest in front of it, quiet and elegant.
The cave dwelling is very spacious, with quiet rooms, alchemy rooms, and a martial arts training ground, all arranged very well.
The old doctor looked it over and nodded in satisfaction: "This one will do."
Xiaoyan chose a cave near the waterfall because she liked listening to the sound of water.
Xiao Li chose a place near the Old Azure Dragon Cave so that it would be convenient for her to go and ask her master for guidance.
Xiao Bai and Wu Xing then followed Xiao Yan and moved into her cave.
After everything was arranged, Lu Qing instructed, "Master, please settle in here first."
If you need anything, you can ask the old Azure Dragon and the others.
There are many legacies left by the Daoist Guixu in the Immortal Palace. If Master is interested, you can go and take a look.
Especially the transmission of swordsmanship, which should be of great benefit to the master.
The old doctor nodded: "Okay, you can go and do your work."
Lu Qing then said to Xiao Yan, "You should cultivate diligently. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask Senior Mingfeng. It seems quite interested in you." Xiao Yan nodded obediently.
Lu Qing said no more, and with a flash, disappeared from the spot.
The next moment, he appeared in a mysterious space deep within the celestial palace.
It was a strange space.
There was no sky, no earth; all around was a hazy light.
The light was soft and warm, like the rising sun or the afterglow of dusk.
As soon as Lu Qing entered this space, he felt a sense of comfort.
Because this place is filled with incomparably pure spiritual energy.
Those spiritual energies, as if they were tangible, flowed slowly through the space.
Their spiritual energy is purer, deeper, and gentler than that of top-grade spirit stones.
Although it was still inferior to top-grade spirit stones, it was enough to surprise him.
After Lu Qing entered the space, his physical body began to automatically absorb the spiritual energy from the surroundings.
The spiritual energy seeped into his meridians through his pores, flowed into his dantian, and nourished every inch of his flesh and blood.
Instantly, he felt a wave of comfort wash over him, as if a parched riverbed had received a refreshing rain.
Since entering the Dao Integration Realm, his strength has undergone a transformation, and his need for spiritual energy has also changed dramatically.
Even high-grade spirit stones are no longer of much use to his cultivation.
After absorbing the spiritual energy from a high-grade spirit stone, he could hardly feel any change.
Therefore, during this period of time, his physical body could be considered to be in a state of "hunger".
It wasn't that he didn't want to cultivate, but rather that he couldn't find suitable cultivation resources.
Now that he's entered this mysterious space, the rich spiritual energy here feels as refreshing as drinking a glass of ice water when you're thirsty.
This mysterious space is the core of the Immortal Palace, the place where the spiritual energy of the entire Immortal Palace converges, and also the cultivation space of the Daoist Guixu in his youth.
A place capable of providing a place for Daoist immortals to cultivate is naturally extraordinary.
Lu Qing sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and quietly sensed everything around him.
He could sense that this space was closely connected to the entire celestial palace.
The celestial palace is rooted in the void, with countless roots extending outwards, constantly drawing various kinds of exotic energy from the endless void.
Some of that energy comes from the light of stars, some from the fluctuations of the void, and some from the cracks in space.
They are diverse, varied, and chaotic.
But the Celestial Palace is able to transform these chaotic energies into pure spiritual essence.
This is precisely the power of the Dao artifact.
When a magical artifact reaches the level of a Dao artifact, it gains the ability to operate on its own.
They can autonomously draw energy from the void to maintain their own operation.
Large-scale Dao artifacts like the Celestial Palace can transform the absorbed energy into spiritual essence for cultivators to use in their practice.
This is why even Daoist immortals want to possess a Dao artifact.
With a Dao artifact, one has a continuous supply of cultivation resources, and the possibility of further improvement.
Previously, the Celestial Palace was unattended and could only passively absorb energy, so the conversion efficiency was only average.
Although it can produce some spiritual energy, the quantity is limited and the process is slow.
Now that Lu Qing has refined the Immortal Palace, its efficiency in absorbing void energy has greatly increased under his mental stimulation.
Those roots penetrated deeper into the void, greedily absorbing all kinds of energy.
The conversion speed is also many times faster than before.
"With the help of the Celestial Palace, my Dao Integration Body will probably reach the Lesser Completion stage in a short time."
Lu Qing was overjoyed.
He had always been accustomed to the rapid improvement of his cultivation level.
From the moment he began his cultivation journey, his progress far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Every breakthrough and every transformation fills him with excitement and satisfaction.
However, since entering the Dao Integration Realm, his cultivation has almost stagnated.
He is still at the initial stage of the Dao Integration Realm, with almost no progress, which makes him very uncomfortable.
Now, in this cultivation space of the celestial palace, he finally felt the sensation of his cultivation improving again.
Although the speed is much slower than before, it is indeed improving.
Lu Qing calmed down and began to cultivate.
He circulated his cultivation technique, guiding the surrounding spiritual energy into his body, circulating it along his meridians, and nourishing his Dao-aligned body.
The Body of Dao Integration is a unique physique possessed by cultivators at the Dao Integration Realm.
It is a special constitution formed when divine thoughts merge with the Great Dao and nourish the physical body.
The strength of a cultivator's Dao-integrating body is directly related to their power and potential.
Lu Qing merged with the Dao through nine Great Daos, and his Dao-merging body was naturally much stronger than that of ordinary Dao-merging realm cultivators.
However, precisely because of this, the amount of spiritual energy required to cultivate the Dao-integrating Body to the point of minor success, major success, or even perfection is also enormous.
Now, this cultivation space in the Immortal Palace has just solved his urgent need.
While cultivating, Lu Qing activated his special ability and began to calculate the subsequent techniques of the [Perfect Dao Integration Method].
He merged with the Dao through nine great paths, possessing a unique physique unlike any other in history. Existing cultivation methods could not satisfy his needs, so he could only slowly deduce them on his own.
Fortunately, with the help of his superpowers, he was able to find his way forward, instead of wandering around like a headless fly.
While cultivating, Lu Qing also separated a part of his mind to condense a divine thought clone.
At Lu Qing's current level, multitasking is not difficult.
His divine sense was incredibly powerful, allowing him to handle several matters simultaneously with complete ease.
The reason for creating a separate divine consciousness clone was naturally to investigate matters concerning the Black and White Sect.
He had not yet fully understood the situation regarding the black and white perspectives.
The waters of that power were far deeper than he had imagined.
It is very likely that it has some connection with the Dark Abyss.
It might even be related to those ancient, evil creatures.
He needs more time and more information to make an accurate judgment.
The main body remains in the celestial palace to cultivate, while the divine consciousness clone can go out to investigate.
Neither will interfere with the other.
With a thought, a figure emerged from Lu Qing's body.
The figure was exactly the same as him, except that its aura was slightly weaker; it was his divine sense clone.
The divine consciousness clone nodded to the main body, then took a step and disappeared into space.
The next moment, he had already left the Guixu Secret Realm and appeared in the starry sky.
The starry sky is vast and boundless.
The divine consciousness avatar floated in the void, gazing into the distance.
With a slight thought, he took a step forward and used the technique of spatial teleportation, his figure instantly disappearing from the spot.
The next moment, he was already millions of miles away.
The direction he was heading was a branch altar of the Black and White Temple.
According to the information he obtained from the Netherworld Palace, the Black and White Temple has multiple branch altars in the starry sky, distributed in various places.
These branch altars served as strongholds for the Black and White Sect's expansion and outposts for gathering resources and capturing cultivators.
He's going to investigate and see if he can find any more clues. (End of Chapter)