Chapter 1248
[Immortal Realm Chapter] The Wisteria Queen, the Ancestor of the Spirit Realm
Lin Shan's eyes darted around, and he gasped.
In the Dharma-ending Age of the Microcosm, there are still immortal beings living in the world?!
Faced with Zhang Tong's suspicious gaze, he realized he had inadvertently exposed himself and quickly tried to cover it up with a laugh.
"Well, actually, the Seeking Ancient Sect is a folk sect. My master raised me outside and I have never been to the Three Great Spirit Realms, so I am not very clear about the various aspects of the Lost Immortal Alliance. Please forgive me."
Surprisingly, these words convinced Zhang Tong. Upon hearing this, the fat man nodded and even took the initiative to smooth things over for him.
"That's true. After all, the Microcosm is quite large. It's not surprising that some reclusive masters don't like to stay in the three major spiritual realms and prefer to live a carefree and secluded life outside."
"Ah, yes, yes, yes."
Lin Shan nodded repeatedly, not caring whether it was a genuine or fake belief, its origin was unimportant anyway.
Since it's possible to present oneself as a novice, it's not necessarily a bad thing. I immediately asked for some inside information about the world of immortals.
Zhang Tong had no reservations about this and spoke freely and fluently.
I gave him a brief explanation of the organizational structure of the Immortal Remnant Alliance.
To be precise, the Immortal Alliance is an organization formed by the three remaining spiritual realms of the Microcosm, symbolizing the last civilized benchmark of cultivators and conveying to the world that the immortal civilization has not yet perished.
The Elder of Dongting Lake is merely a figurehead with the title of leader. He often goes into seclusion for hundreds or thousands of years. In reality, the three spiritual realms are relatively autonomous, and none of them can control the others. They do their best to survive in this harsh environment.
Their ultimate goal is to return to their homeland.
Fairyland!
"Most of us have ancestors from the Immortal Realm, so it's not an exaggeration to call us Immortal Realm descendants. Returning to our hometown has been the common wish of all cultivators for hundreds of thousands of years."
When Zhang Tong talked about this, he couldn't help but sigh, wondering if he would be able to visit the Immortal Realm and experience its splendor in his lifetime.
"Hundreds of thousands of years ago, a great war broke out between the technological universe and the immortal universe. The Heavenly Court of the Immortal Realm sent a large army on an expedition, vowing to reclaim the bridgehead, the Microcosm, which had been enslaved and colonized by extraterrestrial demons!"
"The Microcosm is sandwiched between two great civilizations. It was originally a subordinate universe of the flourishing immortal path, but after being conquered, it became a springboard for extraterrestrial demons to harass our immortal civilization. In order to completely eliminate this border threat, a proclamation was issued to recruit soldiers from all over the world. Cultivators from all walks of life responded and joined the army, all eager to make achievements and earn opportunities for the future."
"Who would have thought that this battle would last for countless years? The extraterrestrial demons overdraw the potential of this world and launched a vicious scheme to drain the spiritual veins of the entire universe, ultimately achieving victory through a suicidal act."
"As for the Immortal Universe, the Heavenly Emperor disappeared without a trace, the court was in chaos and leaderless, reinforcements were slow to arrive, and no resources or supplies were sent. In the end, some treacherous minister came up with a vicious plan. Since the war in the Microcosm was going badly, he simply sealed off the entrances and exits of the Immortal Realm. This expeditionary force was left isolated and abandoned!"
"It is said that the celestial army, which was originally fighting to the death, was filled with grief and indignation upon hearing that its retreat had been cut off. It was quickly divided and devoured by the relentless attacks of the extraterrestrial demons, and in the end, almost the entire army was wiped out."
The two chatted as they climbed the mountain. When they talked about this tragic history, Zhang Tong couldn't help but curse the Heavenly Court!
If their ancestors hadn't been betrayed by the Heavenly Court, how could these survivors have remained in the Gloomy Universe to suffer, generation after generation living a precarious and uncertain life, constantly hiding from birth?
Of course, this is just a grand narrative based on hearsay, and it inevitably involves many details that he could not possibly know.
Lin Shan was secretly astonished upon hearing this. Since this history was widely circulated in the Immortal Remnant Alliance, it meant that it was generally quite credible.
However, after all, hundreds of thousands of years have passed. The truth of such a distant past has long been submerged by the river of time, and it is always buried under the dust.
"Didn't you ever think about returning to the Immortal Realm?"
"Why wouldn't I want to? I'm just an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, I can't even traverse the universe, so there's no use in thinking about it. I'd have to ask the higher-ups of the three great spiritual realms!"
Zhang Tong knew there was no hope. If he could go back, he would have done so long ago. Otherwise, why would he have been trapped here for hundreds of thousands of years, forced to live a life of mere survival?
Lin Shan pondered. He didn't believe that the higher-ups of the Immortal Remnant Alliance had given up on finding a way out. They must have been secretly working on it all along. But it was a bit too much to make no progress after tens of thousands of years. Could it be that they really couldn't return?
"And what about that last appearance of a cosmic relic, the Age of Absolute Law? Where did you hear that from?"
"It's widely known and rumored that the three great spiritual realms have all come out in full force. Doesn't that prove something?"
Zhang Tong was extremely pessimistic, feeling that the future was bleak and the end of cultivators was coming. He wanted to stockpile supplies so that he could break through to the Nascent Soul realm after returning and stay in the Era of Absolute Laws for a while longer.
"What about the higher-ups of your three great spiritual realms? Weren't you supposed to be out in full force? Where did they go?"
Lin Shan looked back on his journey with surprise and found that the cultivators were mostly just a few individuals, and there were no large, organized groups of them.
"I don't know, but there's no doubt that compared to Star Warriors, the number of us cultivators is far too small. It's normal to see only one out of several hundred."
Just then, the ground suddenly shook violently!
The ground beneath their feet trembled violently, as if an immense force was erupting from the mountain, causing endless falling trees and rolling rocks to crash down!
The deafening and continuous sounds forced them to stop and observe the situation.
"what happened?"
"I don't know, it seems like some powerful figures are fighting!"
Lin Shan felt a heavy weight in his heart. Feeling the force coming from beneath his feet, he suddenly realized something was wrong, because being able to shake such a massive spiritual mountain was probably not something an ordinary person could do.
Zhang Tong quietly climbed up a tree to observe and found that the mountainside was fine, but several pairs of flashes of light were already bursting out temporarily as they approached the summit.
"Could it be a clash between a Star Martial King and a Nascent Soul cultivator?"
"more than."
Although Nascent Soul cultivators are powerful, this is the Microcosm, which has limitations in various aspects. In addition, this sacred mountain is the foundation of the secret realm. Moving the sacred mountain is equivalent to shaking the entire secret realm. Ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators would never have such a grand gesture.
Immediately afterwards, boundless spiritual light burst forth from the mountaintop, a shrill roar shook the heavens and the earth, and countless branches stretched out in the blink of an eye, forming a towering umbrella that shrouded the sacred mountain in shadow.
The entire environment immediately became pitch black, and everyone in the darkness was terrified.
The land within a radius of thousands of miles was covered in shadow, and it was hard to imagine what had happened on the mountaintop that could have triggered such a colossal creature!
The spiritual energy surged violently, plunging the sky and earth into darkness.
In an instant, an endless gale swept down, making it impossible for them to open their eyes.
"Let's go up and take a look!"
Lin Shan couldn't bother chatting with him anymore and quickly called for them to set off so as not to miss the show.
But Zhang Tong hesitated now, clinging to the tree like a big monkey, trembling as she tried to dissuade him from acting impulsively and taking risks:
"Fellow Daoist Lin, do what you're capable of. Since we've already obtained quite a few spiritual herbs, let's just call it a day and stop while we're ahead. Why risk our lives?" "Enough nonsense! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"
Lin Shan was counting on this guy to help him identify the people he was fighting, so how could he let him leave so easily?
Without saying a word, he grabbed the man by the collar and started climbing against the strong wind!
Zhang Tong was so frightened that his face turned pale. He begged for mercy repeatedly, but it was no use. He reluctantly let Lin Shan carry him all the way to near the top of the mountain.
Only then did they realize that the sky was covered with dark clouds, the vines and branches were like a thick net, and huge halos of light spread out in circles, with the aftershocks of the battle continuing endlessly.
Below, many small dots were flying in the sky, scurrying around like flies, looking for eggs with cracks to bite.
"What is that?"
The two saw hundreds of caves in the middle, all radiating powerful spiritual light. A surge of fresh spiritual energy poured out from them, appearing as mist, which was enough to prove their abundant and pure essence, making outsiders extremely envious.
But what surged out of it was not just spiritual mist, but also purple vines that emerged from the cave and flew into the sky, piercing the clouds and fighting with unknown beings. The sky was filled with purple flames that burned the heavens and boiled the clouds.
After sensing its strength, Lin Shan felt even more anxious!
This was the first time he had faced such terror in the Microcosm, a genuine Void Realm Emperor, who also appeared to be a plant spirit of unknown age!
"Wisteria Emperor, are you really still alive?"
A hoarse roar came from beyond the sky. The voice seemed to belong to an old man, and his tone was filled with surprise and a hint of fear.
Then a piercing, eerie howl emanated from every tentacle of the wisteria, as if a loudspeaker had been turned on, and could be heard clearly all around the mountaintop.
"Hahaha, little guy, the martial arts you possess, could it be the legacy left behind by that old man from the Fifth Guard of the Right Battalion back then?"
"How do you know so much!"
"I have lived for hundreds of thousands of years and witnessed the vastness of time. What do I not know about the microcosm? You are disturbing my peaceful slumber; you are clearly just bored and have nothing better to do!"
The wisteria vine seemed to be talking to someone else at this moment.
"And you? You allowed your juniors to test my territory first, only showing yourselves after forcing me out. Could it be that you've been planning to take advantage of me all along?"
Two more old men's voices rang out, and their statements were surprisingly identical!
"Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. We have come here together to personally invite you to come out of seclusion and strive for a glimmer of hope for the grand plan of immortality. Please do not treat your friend as an enemy!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Tong shuddered violently and grabbed Lin Shan's sleeve, trembling with excitement.
"Ancestor, this is our Ancestor of the Yanling Realm. He has also entered!"
Lin Shan frowned and pulled him back to stop shouting.
"What? You mean your founder of the Yanling Realm was also a Void Transformation Stage expert?"
"Of course! I heard him preach from afar at the French Food Square back then, so I'm sure I recognized his voice!"
If one of them recognized the other two by their voices, then the other two must also be the founders of the three great spiritual realms.
Three Void Realm experts visited together, apparently for the sake of the Wisteria Flower Queen. It's unclear what they were scheming against, but a great battle had already begun!
Thunder rumbled in the sky, and all sorts of supernatural phenomena were displayed. Before long, it started to rain heavily, which quickly turned into heavy snow. Then, hail, tsunami, hurricane, lava, and all sorts of other things fell down. This was the unintentional interference of the aftershocks of the battle with the celestial phenomena.
The surrounding space visibly became fragile, clearly indicating that both sides had extremely high levels of mastery over the void, and might even be exchanging blows with their domains, the power of which was unprecedented in their lives!
The flies below looked over and discovered that in addition to Nascent Soul cultivators and Star Martial Kings, there were even Nascent Soul cultivators and Star Martial Venerables among them!
This group lured out the Wisteria King, and instead of leaving, they became bold and skillful, and followed the tentacles into the hundreds of caves!
"My martial uncle is there too. What are they planning to do?"
Upon seeing an elder in the Nascent Soul stage, Zhang Tong disregarded his fear and pulled Lin Shan along as they ran up to him, using telepathy to call out to him.
"Uncle-Master, Uncle-Master, I'm here."
The old man in the Nascent Soul stage had an uncertain expression, hesitating whether to go in or not, when he suddenly heard someone call his name from behind. He turned around and was so frightened by what he saw that he immediately stamped his foot and shouted for him to leave:
"What are you doing up here, you fat bastard? Get down here! Is this a place for you?"
Zhang Tong fawned over him, his flattery bordering on obsequious.
"Uncle-Master, I've come to share your burdens. I've also brought along Brother Lin, whom I met on the road. We can watch the play together!"
"What are you watching? This old man is going to risk his life, are you all going to join in?"
The Nascent Soul stage elder was so angry that he blew his beard and glared. Seeing that the people around him were making up their minds one by one, waiting for the right opportunity to sneak into those caves, he finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Get out of here! Stay down the mountain. If you feel you've gained enough, then get out of here. The Wisteria Emperor is no pushover. He was a supply officer for the immortal army tens of thousands of years ago. The three Spirit Realm Ancestors are just juniors who broke through to the Void Realm in the last few thousand years. They may not be a match for him. If we can't reach an agreement, we'll all die!"
"No, what do you want to do inside, sir?"
"Of course we're looking for opportunities! Get out of here, get out of here!"
Upon hearing about the opportunity, Zhang Tong, that fatso, suddenly became bold and dragged Lin Shan along, insisting on going in. He reasoned that the timid would starve while the bold would thrive, and how could they not compete and fight for it?
"Master, please take us with you. At worst, we'll all be buried together, and Fellow Daoist Lin will be buried with us too. What's there to be afraid of!"
Cough cough cough.
While listening to their unlucky talk, Lin Shan was actually observing the surrounding caves. Wisteria tendrils were emerging from inside and reaching towards the sky, leaving very small gaps, but not impossible to enter.
With time running out and the three patriarchs of the three spiritual realms holding out above, even though they didn't know what the people around them were rushing to find, they couldn't afford to fall too far behind.
"Hurry up, it's the second wide hole in the front!"
He took the lead and set the pace, forcing the Nascent Soul cultivator to follow suit, angrily asking the fat guy next to him where he came from.
"Master, Brother Lin is very skilled; he even saved my life before. Let's go inside quickly!"
"No, please don't make things worse."
The three of them entered a cave one after the other. The wisteria tentacles only occupied half of the space, leaving enough room for them to maneuver and react.
Lin Shan followed the scent and rushed in. If there are seventh-grade spiritual herbs in the entire secret realm, they must be growing on a spiritual vein, and may even be under the close protection of the Purple Vine King!
No matter the risk, let's profit from the chaos first and reap the benefits! (End of Chapter)