Chapter 1227
[Immortal Realm Chapter] The End of Dharma Era Arrives Unexpectedly
(Thanks a lot to the reader with the ID "俯视苍生的盟主", many thanks!!)
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Vast, barren hills, endless white sand.
A fierce wind swept across the plains, turning the entire sky into a dark, gray expanse, obscuring the sun and reducing visibility to no more than three feet. The flying sand pelted against clothes and hats with a crisp, crackling sound, interspersed with strange howls.
The storm lasted for most of the day before finally subsiding at some point.
Gradually, a dilapidated tent camp came into view.
The sun overhead was dazzling, radiating a massive amount of constant heat, scorching this barren sandy land, even the air seemed to distort.
In a daze, many people walked out of the shelter, carrying various tools, and began to wander.
"Ding ding ding ding~"
"Uncle Tie, I found this at the junkyard. Do you think it's worth anything?"
A dirty eight-year-old boy stepped forward and handed the object in his hand to an iron window. Inside, a burly man with a bare chest covered in grease was seen using a chisel to rub something.
Upon hearing this, he put down his tools, wiped his face with the blackened towel hanging around his neck, went to the iron bars, took the item over to look at it, and then threw it back out.
“Kid, I’ve told you many times, pick out things that have some weight! This thing looks solid, but it’s actually light and will crumble if you squeeze it. It doesn’t have much recycling value.”
"Why, Uncle Tie? Aren't you a collector of iron? This is such a big piece, how can it be worthless?"
Just then, a woman in a long robe and headscarf walked by, pushed the child aside, and said calmly:
"That was a magical artifact used by cultivators in the past. Now that its spiritual power has been exhausted, it can neither be used for reforging nor as consumables. It is useless to anyone."
As she spoke, the woman handed a thick cylinder, about the size of a thigh, into her backpack.
"Starlight Air Wave Cannon Type III, custom-made by Hangrui Interstellar Armament Company, name your price!"
Upon hearing this, the burly man inside the iron bars took the cylinder, fiddled with it for a while, and activated it. Instantly, a motor sound came from the bottom of the cylinder, and rings of white air appeared on the outside. A milky white light flashed at the entrance of the hole, ready to burst out!
The little boy was so frightened that he immediately covered his ears and tried to lie down!
The next moment, the humming of the motor stopped, and the cylinder also stopped moving again.
"Not bad, definitely a top-quality item! I'll give you 120 star coins, are you selling?"
The woman spoke succinctly, uttering a single word.
"Sell!"
Uncle Tie immediately handed out a handful of blue, shimmering coins through the window. Under the envious and longing gaze of the little boy beside him, the woman carefully put them into an iron box.
"Haha, you little rascal, you should have saved enough money to buy a boat ticket by now, right? When are you planning to leave?"
Judging from their words, it seemed that the two were old acquaintances. However, the woman left without turning her head, leaving only her light, fleeting voice behind.
"That's enough. I'm leaving tomorrow. This is the last job; goodbye forever!"
squeak~
The iron gate by the window opened, and a burly, shirtless man stepped out of the dark tin shack. Looking at the dirty and chaotic sandy street outside with a weary expression, he couldn't help but sigh.
"We've really had enough of this crappy camp. It's good to be young; you always want to go out and explore. Unlike me, I've lost that drive!"
The little boy next to him sat blankly against the wall, hugging that metal lump and muttering to himself.
"When will I be able to save enough money to leave this place like my sister?"
The big man gave the boy a pitying look, shook his head, and went back into the house, leaving behind a heavy sigh.
"It's difficult, so difficult!"
Just as the burly man was about to close the iron gate, a strangely dressed person walked over, glanced at the woman in the distance, and then turned to stare at the little boy.
"I'll trade you what's in your arms."
Squeak~
The iron gate was left half open, and the burly man inside looked at the newcomer with a puzzled and slightly wary gaze, but he did not stop him. He simply stood guard quietly, probably afraid that the child would be abducted.
The little boy, who grew up in a garbage dump, had a sense of danger and cautiously moved closer to the door.
What will you offer in exchange?
The visitor hesitated for a moment, then took out a heavy piece of ore and placed it in his palm.
How about this one?
The little boy weighed it in his hand, then jumped up excitedly, grabbed the big man behind the door, and shoved the ore into his hand.
"Uncle Tie, look! This thing is heavy, it must be very valuable, right?"
The burly man took it and glanced at it, a strange look clearly appearing in his eyes, but he remained calm on the surface and responded.
"Hmm, it's worth some money, but I'll have to take it back to the workbench and cut it open to see exactly how much it's worth."
The little boy danced excitedly, so greedy for money at such a young age, it's clear he's terrified of being poor. I wonder if he can hold onto the gold securely.
The people around them didn't have time to wait for them, and asked another question.
"That thing in your hand, if we're going to trade it, it should be mine now."
The burly man patted the little boy without making a sound, signaling him to hurry up and change without hesitation. The boy obediently handed over the large iron lump to the man.
Then they fled into the small tin shack.
Bang!
The main gate was slammed shut, and the iron bars on the windows were drawn back with curtains, but a small crack remained, as if a pair of eyes were peeking out from inside.
The person chuckled, then turned and left without a second thought.
Just as he lifted his leg, a panel display appeared in front of him that only he could see.
【Soul Refining Bowl】
Quality: Ordinary
Description: Once a first-tier magic artifact in the cultivation world, it decayed and lost its power due to the loss of spiritual energy caused by drastic changes in the environment.
Enhancement requirement: Cannot be enhanced
Click!
With a slight exertion of force, the bowl immediately cracked, and a small, visible fissure began to extend outward from the center.
Seeing this, I couldn't help but sigh.
"As expected, this really is the end times. How did I end up in such a horrible place!"
Lifting his hat, a familiar face looked up at the sky, a hint of confusion in his eyes. It was Lin Shan.
Since he opened the Gate of All Wonders in the lower realm and embarked on his journey to ascension, he has been trekking along the ancient starry road. With the guidance of the fortune teller, he finally found Ouyang Feng's remains, and the cultivation method of the "Wind and Thunder True Scripture" for the Nascent Soul stage was finally found. However, he also discovered a mysterious area.
Broken golden ladders are scattered throughout the starry sky!
There are countless, far more than tens of thousands.
The scene at the time is still puzzling to think about. Where did so many ascendants go? Why were only the steps left hanging there?
After careful investigation, it was discovered that many of them were defeated by violence, and it seemed that they had encountered terrorist attacks just before their ascension. Those people seemed to be desperately trying to climb into a certain place!
But some remain intact, forever embedded in the starry sky.
So he followed the ladders to the places he wanted to go, and finally found an entrance and plunged in.
And then I ended up in this godforsaken place!
The first impression was that the world was desolate and lifeless, with almost no spiritual energy, as if we had arrived at the legendary end of the Dharma era.
Not only this world is like this, but the outer void is also devoid of spiritual energy, pitch black and deep, just as vast and boundless as the outer void where he once was.
The key is that sun, which shines brightly over all the worlds and hangs high above all realms, and seems both extremely far away and extremely close to this place!
So far away that its outline is indistinguishable, so close that the heat is unbearable, like being steamed or roasted.
Just as he realized something was wrong and tried to turn back, he discovered that he could only enter but not exit!
In other words, they were trapped in a mysterious place.
Lin Shan then realized something was wrong. He tried multiple methods but couldn't return to the Ancient Starry Road. His own Heavenly Ladder steps seemed to be stuck outside, unable to communicate with the Immortal Realm's frequency to open the Gate of Myriad Wonders.
Now he has completely cut off his escape route!
"No, before Qu Gong ascended to heaven, he left me a letter saying that the clues were found at the broken Heavenly Ladder, and the Calamity Star also seemed to have given a vague revelation. All the clues seem to point to this place. Could it be that I've gone down the wrong path?"
After carefully reviewing what he had seen and heard on his path to ascension, he wasn't entirely sure if this was the place he was going to find to break through to the Void Realm in the lower realm.
There are too many forks in the road to ascension. One careless step could lead you astray, and you might accidentally stumble upon a place that has never been discovered by outsiders.
So he began to learn about the new environment.
Since he was already there, he might as well make the best of it. The world was in decline and desolate, and his spiritual sea had become like a rootless duckweed, unable to transform and absorb external spiritual energy to provide him with a continuous source of power. Therefore, he had to use it sparingly.
What shocked him even more was that he also had a Star Sea that he couldn't use!
The Spirit Sea is based on the external world, while the Star Sea is based on the stars in the heavens. As long as there is starlight, it can continuously draw on star power to fill itself.
But this place can also isolate the stars in the sky, preventing star power from being projected down. Even the sun is hazy, which shows how closed it is!
He took out the virtual star disk and tried to sense the location of the great demon Qu Gong. When he found that there was no response at all, his heart sank to the bottom.
Maybe I really did make the wrong choice!
Over the next two days, Lin Shan adjusted his senses, establishing a connection between himself and the frequency of this place, which is known as the unity of heaven and man. He was able to break through the void without violence, restoring his full Nascent Soul stage combat power. At the same time, he cultivated the Nascent Soul stage technique "Wind and Thunder True Scripture" to refine the Wind and Thunder Divine Essence before going out to explore.
This world is inhabited by humans. In this desolate white desert, a small shantytown, about the size of a town, sits on the leeward side of a dune valley.
This area has a population of over a thousand who rely on scavenging for a living. Next to it is a huge landfill, where waste is piled up into mountains, completely covered by sandstorms. Many people go there to scavenge for useful items for recycling.
Lin Shan heard from the locals that garbage would be delivered every month, so the town wasn't completely cut off from the outside world.
To his surprise, despite the poor living conditions, every household here could generate electricity, demonstrating a level of technological civilization!
Everyone is just a mortal, without any cultivation or special abilities.
Of course, in the environment of the Dharma-ending Age, it is indeed impossible to cultivate, but the current universe is the Immortal Dao Era, so the emergence of technological civilization is somewhat unusual!
Could it be that I am no longer in the universe I once was?
Thinking of what the man in the straw hat had said before he left, Qu Gong was no longer in the original universe. Could it be a self-fulfilling prophecy?
But if this weren't the location of the Immortal Dao civilization, how could I break through to the Void Realm here?
Looking at the Soul Refining Bowl in his hand, which had lost its spirituality, Lin Shan guessed that this place was not like this long ago, and perhaps some earth-shattering changes had occurred.
Suddenly, at a road intersection ahead, several tents collapsed with a loud crash, and the roar of engines could be heard, followed by shouts from many people!
"Grab her, don't let her get away!"
"This little chick's got some fire. I'm going to get you today, and you'll be all armored tonight!"
“You get the person, but you have to hand over all the money she has on her. The boss said everyone gets a share.”
"You're even trying to renege on your debt and run away? You think you can just leave without paying back the money? There's no such thing as a free lunch."
vu~vu~vu~
Da da da da da
The desert off-road ATV roared wildly. The woman who had appeared earlier stood on the vehicle, gripping the handlebars, kicking up clouds of sand behind her. She crashed into tents and containers, dodging those who tried to stop her, weaving left and right in an S-shaped path, and sped out of the camp in a flash.
"Hahaha, you think you can make me take off my armor? Go home, take off your pants, and look in the mirror. You'll probably spend the rest of your life just peeing in bed!"
The group behind them were covered in dust and dirt, unable to open their eyes due to the smoke, let alone forcibly stop them. The leader, a one-eyed man with a braided tattoo, pulled out a gun from his waist, attached a barrel longer than the gun body, and swung it forward.
"Chase her! She's trying to hide in the junkyard; it'll be much harder to catch her once she's inside!"
The thugs immediately pulled out their weapons, jumped onto the sand motorcycles with double skids next to them, and followed the tracks ahead.
The shantytown behind was left in chaos, with many people emerging from their hiding places, cursing and swearing, and forced to pack up their tents.
The threshold of the tin shack quietly opened a crack.
Inside, a middle-aged man and a little boy were looking out, and seeing this scene, they were both somewhat worried for the woman.
"Uncle Tie, do you think my sister can escape from here?"
"It's hard to say. If she can hide in the garbage dump overnight and wait for the armed sanitation company's garbage boat to come here tomorrow, she can pay the money to get on board and escape smoothly. But those loan shark thugs aren't easy to fool!"
While the two were whispering to each other, the man outside had already disappeared.
The landfill was only two kilometers from the camp. Although the desert in between was difficult to traverse, the off-road motorcycles made it feel like flat ground, and soon the two groups drove in one after the other.
Bang, bang, bang!
Gunshots shattered the silence, and many scavengers scattered in terror, watching cars whiz by as they rushed into the junkyard to play hide-and-seek.
This landfill was extremely vast, with thousands of garbage mountains of all sizes, forming a maze-like labyrinth. The pursuers knew they would eventually be shaken off if things continued this way, so they charged forward recklessly and started firing their guns!
That woman was ruthless enough. With one hand, she turned around and raised her arm, aiming a bright hand cannon at the back. Circles of blue waves jumped and circulated, and then a white cloud suddenly shot out, the powerful air wave tearing through the sand and kicking up rows of dust!
Bang! ! !
Behind me, a sand motorcycle exploded with a bang, soaring into the sky and flying seven or eight meters before crashing in an elliptical parabolic arc into the distance.
"Oh no, an air wave cannon! Watch out!"
The leader was so frightened by the sight that he quickly dodged and ordered his men to flank from the left and right.
Who knew that although the hand cannon was quite powerful, since it was the first time it had been used in actual combat, the strong recoil disrupted the balance of the ATV, and the woman accidentally flipped the vehicle herself!
It then slid and rolled down, and could only watch helplessly as the vehicle rolled several times before crashing into the garbage mountain, with billowing dust and roaring engines behind it.
Several sand motorcycles surrounded her, and the leader pointed a gun at the ground.
"Don't move! Take the hand cannon off and throw it aside. Do as I say!"
The scene was tense for a moment. Then the woman slowly raised her hand, just as she was about to make a move. The next moment, the people suddenly stiffened and then fell to the ground without a sound.
A stranger walked out from behind them.
"You were just in the camp, and you were able to recognize the magical artifacts used by cultivators at a glance. Could you tell me about their origins?" (End of Chapter)