Chapter 746. The Sacred Land of Daogong, Demigod Ancestor (Cultivation Realm)

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Eldrin cut straight to the point: "We've come today to seek an artifact capable of breaking formations."

"Oh?"

Freya (Person Name) froze momentarily, then revealed a flicker of astonishment.

For an existence of Eldrin's caliber, artifacts below the upper-fifth rank were practically useless in breaking formations. Anything worth his personal visit to borrow was undoubtedly extraordinary.

However, Freya (Person Name) didn’t press further and simply said, “Please wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

With that, Freya (Person Name) hastily departed the main hall and soon returned, presenting a precious treasure box.

Eldrin opened the treasure box to find a crimson-gold shuttle within, radiating an aura of unparalleled sharpness.

"This is the 'Vermilion Gold Barrier-Breaking Spirit Shuttle', capable of emitting crimson-gold barrier-piercing energy. As a Quasi-Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure (Magic Treasure) specifically designed to counter all kinds of mountain-protecting formations, it should suffice for your needs."

Freya spoke with an air of detached grace as she imparted the method to activate this Quasi-Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure to the 2 of them.

After borrowing the Crimson Gold Barrier-Breaking Spirit Shuttle, the 2 did not linger long on Dorian's Sacred Isle and directly returned to the Eastern Wastelands.

After returning to the Eastern Wastelands, Eldrin did not delay any further. He went straight to Maris the Sea Steader and said, "Since our preparations are sufficient, we should not procrastinate any longer. It would be best to set off early to avoid complications."

"So it shall be."

Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) nodded and set off together with Eldrin (Person Name).

This time, aside from Maris the Sea Steader, only 3 from the Chen Family made their move: Eldrin, Qing Ji, and Lyra.

The 4 of them went directly to the Eternal River Sanctuary, intending to use its teleportation formation to travel straight to the Southern Wilds Cultivation Realm.

The teleportation array between the Long River Sacred Land and the Southern Barren cultivation realm opened once every decade. Though there were still a few years remaining until the 10-year cycle was complete, given the 4 individuals' status, the Long River Sacred Land was willing to grant this favor and activated the array ahead of schedule.

The group had just arrived in the Southern Barrens cultivation realm when Eldrin felt an endless surge of spiritual energy washing over him. He instinctively drew a deep, fervent breath.

He lifted his gaze to survey his surroundings, spotting ancient Taoist temples perched upon the distant spirit mountains. Flocks of cranes soared with wings outstretched, while ethereal Taoist masters possessing an air of immortal elegance moved about the landscape. What a magnificent display of celestial grandeur.

Noticing the expressions on the trio's faces, Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) smiled and explained to them, "Within the Southern Ridge cultivation world, there exist no fewer than 4 Dao Lord sacred lands—namely, 1 palace, 1 hall, and 2 immortal clans."

1 Palace refers to the Daoist sanctuary of the Violet Realm—the "Dao Palace"; 1 Hall is the Blaze Departure Hall; while the 2 Immortal Clans are respectively the Lu Clan and the Huang Family.

As Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) narrated, Eldrin (Person Name) gave a slight nod of agreement.

Among these sacred lands, the Lu Family was an Immortal Clan of Primordial Spirits founded by Lu Jiuyuan. It had been a mere 2,000 years since Dao Lord Jiuyuan attained enlightenment, and the clan possessed only 1 Primordial Spirit Dao Lord.

The Huang Immortal Clan was on par with the Lu Family, having also ascended to become a Primordial Immortal Clan within the last millennium. In terms of strength, however, they were slightly inferior to the Lu Clan.

However, the 2 factions that followed were far from simple. The Eldrin Flame Palace and the Frostwind Pavilion of the Northern Glaciers stood side by side, renowned as the Twin Sacred Grounds of Yin and Yang in the Violet Realm.

The Valley's lineage had once produced more than 1 immortal. At its peak, it boasted over a dozen Nascent Soul Dao Lords, and its orthodox teachings had remained unbroken for 2 100 1000 years.

During the demonic abyss calamity 3 100 years ago, the Li Fire Palace lost yet another Primordial Spirit Dao Lord in battle. Yet even so, they still retained a full 4 Primordial Spirit Dao Lords, a force that could rival even the Drifting Snow Pavilion.

As for the origins of the final Dao Palace Holy Land, they were even more astonishing. This lineage had been passed down for over a million years, with more than a dozen ancestors having ascended to immortality. It was said that the most exceptional among them had even cultivated to the realm of Earth Immortal (Cultivation Realm).

The Earth Immortal Realm was truly extraordinary. With Eldrin's current level of experience, he had roughly grasped the classification of immortal cultivation realms.

In this realm, after the Primordial Spirit undergoes feathering ascension, 1 becomes a legendary 9 Heavens Immortal. Such existences share the same lifespan as heaven and earth, and their realm is known as the Ascension Realm, revered as ‘Feathered Immortals’.

After cultivating the Immortal Ascension Realm to its peak, the most exceptional among them could cleave heaven and earth, using their supreme magic power to carve out an eternal world, nurturing hundreds of millions of living beings.

Thus, Immortals who have attained the Earth Immortal realm are respectfully addressed as ‘Earth Immortal Ancestors.’ Such beings are exceptionally rare even among Immortals—scarcely 1 in a 100. Across a celestial domain spanning billions upon billions of miles, they are revered as figures of ancestral stature.

The Dao Palace Holy Land was so magnificent, with such profound foundations in the upper realm, revealing how astonishing its heritage truly was.

Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) gave a bitter smile and shook his head at this point. "What a pity that the Violet Realm was banished by the Violet Immortal Lord into the endless void. Otherwise, with thousands of immortal lineages flourishing there, how could those Outer Realm Demons dare to run rampant?"

Even the Earth Immortals from the Dao Palace Holy Land in the Upper Realm alone could effortlessly vanquish that extraterrestrial demon god.

Hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) let out a sigh and spoke helplessly, "This was an unavoidable course of action. Had the Violet Immortal Lord not exiled the Violet Realm back then, we would likely be facing figures of Celestial Immortal caliber—or even Great Luo Immortal Lords—by now."

"If beings of that level were to clash within the Violet Realm, I fear the entire realm would be pulverized into dust. How could we possibly muster any chance to resist these extraterrestrial demons?"

"That does make sense."

Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) gave a nod, then gazed up at the Dao Palace Sanctuary before him before remarking, "Within this Dao Palace Sanctuary, there are 9 Dao Lords in its lineage. The master of the Dao Palace has cultivated to such profound heights that he has reached the Half-Immortal realm."

"The venerable 1 attained the Dao over 20 1000 years ago and has slain 3 Great Perfection Soul Nascent enemies for the human race. You and I still ought to pay our respects."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) was profoundly shaken, an expression of astonishment involuntarily crossing his face.

Over the years, he had spent most of his time in the Eastern Barrens cultivation realm, with only brief visits to the Eastern Sea cultivation realm and the Far North Frozen Plains cultivation realm. He had thus assumed that the strength of the human race was merely average. Never had he imagined that what he witnessed today would far surpass his expectations.

Upon careful reflection, this was only natural. Among the various domains governed by the Eldrin race of the Violet Realm, the distribution of power was profoundly uneven.

Among them, the Eastern Sea Cultivation Realm faced the cataclysm head-on, leaving no opportunity to accumulate strength. Each millennium, the great calamity would claim the lives of numerous True Monarchs and even Primordial Spirit cultivators.

The Eastern Wastelands (Location) had also suffered greatly. Though some recovery had been made, merely a few 1000 years had passed since the banishment of the Outer Realm Demons, leaving insufficient time to fully restore its former strength.

Although the Extreme Northern Ice Plains were located deep in the rear, the harsh environment of the northern territories meant its population base was less than 1-fifth of the Eastern Wastelands (Location). The mere presence of a Human Dao Lord here was already astonishing.

In contrast, the Southern Peaks cultivation realm enjoyed a far more favorable environment. Neither the Celestial Palace nor the Sacred Hall had ever faced the rupture of their doctrinal heritage, allowing them to nurture over a dozen Primordial Spirit Dao Lords.

Especially the master of that Dao Palace, who had lived for tens of thousands of years, possessed strength ranking among the top 3 within the Violet Realm's human race. He stood as a pillar supporting the heavens for humanity, so formidable that even the extraterrestrial demon gods viewed him as a thorn in their side—a testament to the flourishing prosperity of the Southern Wilds' cultivation world.

Chapter 1: The Prodigy's Fall The mountain mist coiled like ancient dragons awakening, shrouding the Celestial Peak Sect in veils of silver gossamer. Ling Feng stood at the precipice of the Training Grounds, his white robes fluttering in the dawn breeze that carried the scent of spiritual herbs and distant snowfall. "Senior Brother Ling! The Patriarch summons you to the Hall of Eternal Reflection!" A junior disciple called out, his voice tinged with reverence. Ling Feng nodded imperceptibly, his gaze sweeping across the 90-9 floating islands that comprised the sect's foundation. For 3 years, he had been stuck at the 9th level of Qi Refinement—a full cycle of stagnation that had tongues wagging throughout the cultivation world. The Hall of Eternal Reflection stood majestic, its pillars carved with coiling celestial dragons that seemed to breathe with residual magic. Elder Wu Chen awaited him, eyes closed in meditation, floating 3 inches above the jade floor. "Disciple pays respects to Master." Ling Feng bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching the cold jade. "The Grand Sect Tournament approaches," the Elder's voice echoed like stones rolling down a mountain. "30-2 major sects will send their champions. The victor shall receive 10,000 spirit stones and a drop of Phoenix Rebirth Elixir." Ling Feng's heart quickened. The elixir could potentially break his bottleneck. "This disciple will not disappoint." Elder Wu Chen's eyes snapped open, golden light flashing within. "Your foundation is solid, but your spiritual roots have been damaged. Take this." He flicked his sleeve, sending a small jade vial floating toward Ling Feng. "3 Middle-grade Healing Pills. Use them wisely." "Thank you, Master!" Ling Feng's hands trembled as he received the priceless gift. Middle-grade pills were rare even for inner sect disciples. As he exited the hall, a voice dripping with mockery reached him. "If it isn't our prodigy who's forgotten how to advance." Li Hao, his long-time rival, leaned against a marble pillar with 2 followers flanking him. "Heard you got special treatment again. Daddy's favorite, aren't you?" Ling Feng's knuckles turned white. "Step aside, Li Hao." "Or what?" Li Hao sneered, tapping the hilt of his Flaming Saber. "You couldn't beat a Foundation Establishment ant right now." The air crackled with tension. Ling Feng calculated the odds—Li Hao had reached Foundation Establishment last month, while he remained at Qi Refinement. Yet the teachings of the "Unbreakable Dao Heart" manual echoed in his mind: The greatest victory is avoiding unnecessary conflict. "I have no time for your games." Ling Feng sidestepped them, his movements fluid as water flowing around stones. Li Hao's laughter followed him. "Run then, coward! The tournament will expose you!" Back in his secluded cave dwelling, Ling Feng opened the jade vial. The pills glimmered with internal light, each containing spiritual energy equivalent to 3 months of meditation. He sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, beginning the circulation technique passed down through generations. Energy surged through his meridians like a raging river, slamming against the invisible barrier between realms. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he guided the flow, remembering the ancient texts: "The path to immortality is paved with shattered limitations." Suddenly, a searing pain erupted from his dantian. The spiritual energy whirled out of control, threatening to devour him from within. Darkness crept into his vision as his consciousness faded. When he awoke, the world had changed. His spiritual sense had expanded exponentially, now able to detect the minute movements of spirit ants 50 meters away. The barrier was gone—he had broken through to Foundation Establishment. But something else had changed. Floating in his consciousness was a shimmering golden page inscribed with ancient characters: "The Heavenly Dao Scripture." Ling Feng's breath caught. This was 1 of the 9 legendary supreme techniques, lost for millennia. According to legends, its cultivators either ascended to immortality or perished by heavenly tribulation. The scripture's words burned themselves into his memory: "He who masters the Dao of Heaven shall command the elements and rewrite destiny itself." Outside his cave, thunder rumbled as dark clouds gathered. The first heavenly tribulation was coming. And so was the storm of intrigue that would shake the very foundations of the cultivation world.