Chapter 681
The Way of Mountains and Seas
"An evil god! An evil god is here, using the blood and essence of living beings to heal wounds!"
The human race's celestial venerable instantly understood.
Judging from the faintness of its aura, this evil god is not very strong. It may have been severely injured in the previous battle, which is why it needs to slaughter living beings and refine their essence to recover.
"They've got some nerve, daring to commit violence in a star system controlled by humans..."
The Human Celestial Venerable sneered.
In the past, he might have been more cautious and gathered his companions to surround and kill him.
But ever since Emperor Gu Tian secured victory in the battle, the evil gods were defeated, and the morale of the human race soared. As a Seven Tribulation Heavenly Venerable, he believed he was capable of dealing with any seriously injured and fleeing evil god.
"Let me, the venerable one, confront you and see where you can escape to!"
The Human Celestial Venerable did not send the message back—a severely injured evil god could be dealt with by himself; there was no need to trouble others.
This is not only a duty, but also a merit.
He closed his eyes and concentrated, his divine sense spreading out like a net to capture the trace of the evil god's aura remaining in the void and trace its origin.
A moment later, the Human Celestial Venerable opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.
"Got you!"
He took a step forward, the void shattered, and his figure disappeared into the spatial passage, following the aura as it went.
Meanwhile, in another star system countless billions of miles away...
As if sensing something, the God of Heavenly Punishment glanced back in the direction he had come from, a cold smile curving his lips.
"Seven Tribulations Celestial Venerable!"
He took a deep breath, trying his best to conceal his presence and erase all traces of himself.
A powerhouse of this caliber is beyond my ability to handle.
If it were at its peak, it would be fine; it could be wiped out with a snap of the fingers.
But now.
If I were to face such a powerful opponent, I would be the one who gets killed with a flick of my finger.
and so.
At times like this.
The Lord of Heavenly Punishment must be cautious.
Although his cultivation level has dropped, making him no longer as powerful as before, he can still use some methods to sever causality and conceal himself.
It's just that when the Heavenly Punishment God Lord left that continent, he forgot to clean up all the traces, otherwise there wouldn't be this much trouble now.
But no way.
He never expected that the Celestial Venerable of the human race would notice so quickly.
now.
The Lord of Heavenly Punishment had no time for regret; the only way to survive was to keep a low profile and lie low.
……
Ancient and sacred land.
Nine sacred mountains rise abruptly from the ground, towering into the starry sky. Palaces and pavilions stretch across the mountains, hidden in the clouds and mist. Cranes and mythical beasts often pass by, creating a scene of celestial grandeur.
Deep within the nine mountains lies an ancient celestial palace.
This hall is a thousand feet tall and completely black. Countless ancient runes are carved on its body. These runes are not static, but rather flicker like breathing, absorbing and exhaling vast stellar power and nether energy.
The palace doors were tightly shut, guarded by two stone statues—a three-headed demonic wolf on the left and a nine-winged black serpent on the right. The statues were lifelike, with a faint crimson light flowing in their eyes, radiating a terrifying pressure comparable to that of a celestial being.
This is one of the forbidden areas of the Ancient Netherworld Holy Land, and normally only the Holy Lord and a few elders are qualified to enter.
And now, this celestial palace has welcomed its current master—
Gu Qingfeng.
The interior space of the hall was much larger than it appeared from the outside, clearly due to the use of spatial folding techniques.
The dome hangs high, like the night sky, with specks of starlight falling and illuminating what lies below.
The ground was covered with warm, dark jade, engraved with intricate spirit-gathering array patterns. The rich immortal energy almost solidified, transforming into a light mist that permeated the air.
In the center of the main hall, Gu Qingfeng sat cross-legged.
He wore a simple black robe, his long hair was loose, and his face was as calm as a still well.
He didn't exude any earth-shattering aura; instead, he was as simple and unadorned as an ordinary person. However, if a powerful person were present, they would find that Gu Qingfeng's existence seemed to be integrated with the entire Immortal Palace and even with this starry sky—he was the Dao, and the Dao was him.
A fist-sized, dark gray crystal floated in front of him.
The crystal is an irregular polyhedron with a rough surface, as if it has been weathered over hundreds of millions of years, but inside there is a faint radiance flowing, sometimes like a river of stars, sometimes like mountains rising and falling.
An ancient and immortal aura emanated from the crystal, causing the surrounding void to distort slightly and the flow of time to seem to slow down.
This item is the immortal crystal obtained after the ancient god's forbidden zone was pacified and the immortal severed finger was suppressed!
At this moment, Gu Qingfeng closed his eyes slightly, his divine sense already sinking into the depths of the immortal crystal.
The instant divine thought touched the crystal—
"boom!!!"
It was as if a door to the ancient, primordial world had been opened!
A vast, magnificent, and indescribable torrent of Daoist energy surged into Gu Qingfeng's soul and consciousness like a bursting dam!
That was not a simple energy impact, but a manifestation of the origin of the Great Dao. It was the supreme Daoist charm formed by the lifelong cultivation and enlightenment of an immortal celestial being after his fall, and the condensation of the laws of the Great Dao!
In an instant, Gu Qingfeng "saw" a world.
That was a world of swords.
Boundless sword intent filled the heavens and earth, each strand of sword intent containing terrifying power capable of splitting the heavens and earth and severing the cycle of reincarnation.
Sword intent evolves into all things.
Sometimes it transforms into a majestic divine mountain, suppressing chaos and establishing order in the universe.
Sometimes it transforms into a vast ocean, sweeping across the starry sky and cleansing the universe.
At other times, it transforms into countless stars, shining brightly in the sky and guiding the way...
Mountains, seas, stars, and stars.
The four images are constantly rotating, merging, and sublimating, eventually converging into a supreme sword path that spans the past, present, and future—the Mountain and Sea Sword Path!
"I see……"
Gu Qingfeng was deeply shaken.
The Great Dao remaining in this immortal crystal is not an ordinary immortal Dao, but the condensation of the essence of the swordsmanship of an immortal celestial being who specializes in the swordsmanship!
That immortal celestial being followed the "Way of the Mountain and Sea Sword".
With mountains as its bones, the sea as its blood, the stars as its eyes, and the universe as its sheath... when the sword is drawn, mountains and seas will collapse, stars will fall, and the universe will turn upside down!
This is an unparalleled and fierce sword path. When cultivated to its peak, a single sword strike can manifest real mountains and seas and suppress the immortals!
"What a magnificent Mountain and Sea Sword Style..."
Gu Qingfeng was immersed in the vast Dao of Swords, eagerly absorbing its mysteries.
Although he does not cultivate the sword path and is in charge of the Netherworld Dao, all three thousand Daos lead to the same destination.
Especially at his level, any insight into the supreme path can reflect on himself, allowing him to draw inferences from one instance to another, and bringing immeasurable benefits to the perfection of his own path.
Moreover, this immortal crystal contains not only the cultivation method of the Mountain and Sea Sword Dao, but also an immortal celestial being's understanding of the "Great Dao" itself, his insights into the realm of "immortality," and his experience in the process of "merging with the Dao"...
These are the things that are most valuable to Gu Qingfeng.
In fact, such supreme Dao essence is a rare treasure for any Celestial Venerable.
This applies even to those who are half-immortal, or even to those who are truly immortal.
after all--
For an Immortal Celestial Venerable, if they can comprehend the Dao of other Immortal Celestial Venerables, they can also transform the latter's Dao into nourishment for themselves, thereby enhancing their cultivation strength.
Currently, Gu Qingfeng's cultivation has broken through to the peak of the Nine Tribulations Heavenly Venerable realm. If a comparison were to be made, he could certainly be considered a half-step immortal.
It all comes down to that same old saying.
The so-called "half-step immortality" is just a slightly more powerful Nine Tribulation Heavenly Venerable.
This level.
They have not yet truly escaped the realm of the Nine Tribulations, nor have they truly reached the realm of immortality.
……
Gu Qingfeng completely immersed himself in the task.
Instead of trying to learn the Way of the Mountain and Sea Sword, he sought to understand the mental journey of the Immortal Celestial Venerable in creating and perfecting this Great Way.
How did the opponent rise from humble beginnings, how did they gradually perfect their swordsmanship, how did they resonate with the origin of mountains and seas, and how did they ultimately merge with the Dao and step into immortality...
This process unfolded slowly in Gu Qingfeng's mind, like a magnificent epic scroll.
He saw a young boy who picked up a rusty sword from humble beginnings and vowed to use the sword in his hand to eliminate all injustice in the world.
He saw the young man endure hardships, master the basics of swordsmanship, and with a single strike, the mountains and rivers changed color.
He saw the young man wielding his sword, traversing the world, defeating all the arrogant and challenging the saints, and comprehending the weight of the "mountain" and the vastness of the "sea" in the face of life and death.
He witnessed the middle-aged man retire from the world and contemplate the mountains and seas for a century, eventually fusing the two into one and creating the "Mountain and Sea Sword Intent".
He saw an old man with white hair sitting deep in the starry sky, watching the stars rise and fall, comprehending the eternity of "stars" and the rotation of "celestial bodies", and finally integrating the concept of stars into the way of swordsmanship, achieving mastery of the Mountain and Sea Swordsmanship and touching the origin.
He saw the Sword Dao Celestial Venerable at his peak, his sword drawn, accompanied by mountains, seas, and stars, cleaving through the Milky Way with a single strike, his might shaking the ages.
finally--
He saw the Sword Dao Master sitting cross-legged atop an unnamed, desolate mountain, with his sword held horizontally in front of him.
He closed his eyes, his soul left his body, and resonated with the "origin of mountains, seas, stars, and celestial bodies" in the darkness.
At that moment, the sky and earth changed color, the illusory images of mountains and seas manifested as starlight, and the light of the stars gathered into a river, surging into his body.
His physical body began to disintegrate, his flesh and blood transformed into mountains and rocks, his bones into peaks and valleys, his blood into rivers and seas, and his eyes into stars... He was merging with the origin of mountains, seas, and stars!
This process lasted for countless years.
In the end, atop the desolate mountain, only an ancient longsword remained, stuck in the rock, its blade imprinted with patterns of mountains, seas, and stars.
The Sword Dao Celestial had already vanished.
It wasn't a fall, but a complete "merger with the Dao"—he became a part of the origin of mountains, seas, and stars. From then on, I am mountains and seas, and mountains and seas are me, immortal and indestructible.
"To unite oneself with the Dao—"
Gu Qingfeng was shaken.
I don't know how much time has passed.
All the images vanished.
Gu Qingfeng opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.
This is a period of enlightenment.
Gu Qingfeng had already glimpsed a supreme divine power called the Mountain and Sea Sword Dao from the immortal crystal.
Although Gu Qingfeng did not deliberately try to comprehend the Mountain and Sea Sword Dao, but only observed the profound mystery of this supreme Dao, his mastery of such supernatural powers was a natural thing the moment he observed the Dao.
Simultaneously.
He also understood the supreme path that ancient and immortal had followed.
Although Gu Qingfeng was not a sword cultivator, all three thousand great paths lead to the same destination, including the Netherworld Great Path.
Having obtained the Immortal Sword Dao, Gu Qingfeng has already grasped some of its profound mysteries, which are enough to reflect upon himself.
but.
To truly comprehend the profound mystery of life arising from death, relying solely on the Netherworld Dao to directly merge with the Dao and step into the realm of the Immortal Celestial Venerable is still somewhat insufficient.
But Gu Qingfeng wasn't in a hurry.
Given time, he will eventually be able to take that step.
"Next, we'll see if we can find such immortal crystals in other forbidden zones. If we can, I should be able to break through to the immortal realm after leaving the immortal secret realm this time!"
A thought fell.
Gu Qingfeng looked at the immortal crystal before him.
Now that he has fully comprehended the immortal Dao essence within it, this immortal crystal seems to have lost all its power, quietly turning into ashes and dust, and completely dissipating.
In this regard.
Gu Qingfeng did not feel regret.
The destruction of the immortal crystal was within his expectations.
After all, the reason why this immortal crystal can exist is simply because the Great Dao of Immortality has been preserved.
But now.
The Immortal Dao also transformed into its own nourishment, allowing it to comprehend the Mountain and Sea Sword Dao. In this way, when the power of the Dao was exhausted, the Immortal Crystal would cease to exist.
then.
Gu Qingfeng then emerged from seclusion.
The seclusion period is not measured in months or years.
For him, it was just a fleeting moment, but for the outside world, it was an eternity.
When Gu Qingfeng emerged from seclusion, the Ancient Nether Saint Lord, upon receiving the news, immediately came to pay his respects.
"Congratulations on your successful completion of seclusion, senior! Your cultivation has greatly improved!"
The moment he saw Gu Qingfeng, the Ancient Nether Saint Lord offered his congratulations loudly.
Gu Qingfeng asked calmly, "How is the starry sky during my seclusion?"
"Reporting to the senior, all forces are currently besieging the evil god clan. Over the past ten thousand years, most of the evil gods who have been lurking in the shadows have met their doom."
However, a very small number of evil gods still lie dormant, but they are unlikely to pose a significant threat.
It is said that the Heavenly Punishment God Lord has slaughtered many living beings, and many Heavenly Venerables are searching for his whereabouts, but there is not much news for the time being!
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord briefly recounted his recent situation.
Upon hearing the name of the Heavenly Punishment God, Gu Qingfeng's expression shifted slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
to him.
The Heavenly Punishment God is nothing.
If he was able to suppress the opponent when he was at his peak, then the severely injured Heavenly Punishment God Lord is even less of a concern.
However, it cannot be denied that as an ancient god-king of the evil god race, the opponent also has many ways to protect himself.
Even now, despite being severely injured, it won't be easy to truly find and completely eliminate the other party.
"The evil god race is no longer a threat. What's the situation in the various forbidden zones now?"
Gu Qingfeng changed the subject.
Upon hearing this...
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord's expression immediately became much more solemn, and he spoke in a deep voice: "For ten thousand years, the Ancient Nether Holy Land has sent many disciples to various forbidden zones of life. Although some disciples were able to come out alive, they also carried the curse of the forbidden zones."
In many forbidden zones of life, there are ancient supreme beings lying dormant, waiting for a period of turmoil to prolong their lifespan.
As for the five supreme forbidden zones, all cultivators who entered perished; not a single one emerged alive. Therefore, the Ancient Nether Holy Land has been unable to glean any useful information about these forbidden zones. We hope you will forgive us, senior! (End of Chapter)