With a resigned look, Niu Hao departed. Meanwhile, Qiong Sea King leaned over and whispered to Fang Xia. “Daoist Fang Xia, what are Senior Wan Liu’s preferences? What gifts should I bring? Are there any specific requirements I should be aware of?” His heart raced with anticipation and nervousness.
“Hehe,” Fang Xia chuckled, shaking his head. “Do you possess any treasures that someone like Daoist Wan Liu would find valuable?”
Qiong Sea King suddenly remembered Senior Wan Liu’s stature. “You’re right. There’s no way my lowly treasures will interest him.”
“After the conclusion of the Middle Land conference, come to Cloudhill to meet Senior Wan Liu,” Fang Xia proposed. “We can discuss the details in person then.”
“Very well,” Qiong Sea King agreed with a nod.
…
“Senior Wan Liu is a body refiner?” Emperor Dong Pan swiftly received this news through the Middle Land Immortal Hall. His expression remained composed, revealing no hint of surprise. Soon, he learned another piece of information: Qiong Sea King was preparing to journey to Cloudhill, to seek guidance from Wan Liu.
“Qiong Sea King is a body refiner at the ninth-stage Communion phase. Since Wan Liu is confident that he can offer guidance, could he truly be a Spiritual Body Superior?” Emperor Dong Pan silently marveled.
In certain aspects, the Spiritual Body phase was even more fearsome than the Golden Core phase, because the Spiritual Body phase granted one a lifespan of 5000 years.
…
There was an hour’s time between Wu Yuan’s departure from the Middle Land Immortal Hall and the commencement of the Middle Land Conference. During this period, the latest news from the immortal hall began to spread outside.
In the depths of a forbidden cave, situated west of the Holy Capital of the Great Jin Empire.
“Father, the updates are as follows.” Jin Ji spoke with reverence, relaying the events of the day. “I suspect that the devastating Soulquake Art employed in the previous battle was executed by Wan Liu.”
“The strength of his soul and Soul Force are truly overwhelming, likely at the level of the Golden Core phase,” the purple-robed illusory figure spoke slowly.
Jin Ji’s heart trembled with shock. Could that man have truly reached the Golden Core phase?
“But,” the purple-robed figure said calmly, “If he truly were a Golden Core phase Superior, why didn’t he take direct action? With his power, conquering our Great Jin is a trivial matter.”
Jin Ji recounted Fang Xia’s words, “Wan Liu wishes to steer clear of any karmic entanglements.”
“Ha, karma?” The purple-robed sneered, a hint of disdain flickering in his eyes. “On the treacherous path of immortality, who can truly evade karma? Just resolve it all with power and be done with it. My guess is that this Wan Liu is a ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator with an astonishingly formidable soul, masquerading as a Golden Core cultivator to intimidate us.”
Jin Ji was taken aback, “Ninth-stage Qi Sea phase?”
“The likelihood of him being a Golden Core cultivator is slim,” the figure in purple robes spoke calmly. “However, with such immense Soul Force, his strength cannot be underestimated. He must be, at the very least, a ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator, possibly even a qi refiner with a medium degree immortal root.”
Medium degree immortal root? Jin Ji gasped. Immortal roots were classified into nine degrees, with the medium degrees encompassing the fourth, fifth, and sixth degrees. It might sound unremarkable, but in actuality, a staggering 99% of Qi Sea cultivators were low degree cultivators.
Throughout the Middle Land, the number of sixth-degree immortal root qi refiners could be counted on a single hand! As for the fifth-degree immortal root? They were nothing short of legends in the Middle Land.
“While he may not be a Golden Core cultivator, our Great Jin will not have an easy time dealing with both him and that Fang Xia if we go to war,” the purple-robed figure said coldly. “Carry on as usual and issue an order to cease all actions against Wu Yuan and his family. Unless the Cloudstride Sect initiates an assault, everything can wait until I emerge from seclusion.” With that, the illusory figure dispersed into innumerable specks of light.
“Farewell, Father,” Jin Ji bowed. After a moment, he retrieved the hall jade from his pocket.
…
Rows of mist-shrouded courtyard houses and majestic towers lay within the labyrinth of deep canyons in the Stellar Province of the Dong Continent.
Deep within a tower plastered with numerous images of stars and planets, Liu Junxing spoke in a low voice, “Wan Xing, what should we do?”
“He may be a Golden Core cultivator,” a frigid voice replied from the depths of the tower, “but as our Starcom Consortium has reached a peace treaty with him, and he has not unleashed his might upon the world, it matters little whether he is one or not.”
“Convey my orders. Do not provoke the Cloudstride Sect. This era is fated to be theirs. We shall observe their rise and patiently await their eventual decline,” the cold voice instructed.
“As you command.”
…
The Huang Continent, situated at the southwestern extremity of the Middle Land, was an immense expanse of land, surpassing even the Holy Continent in size.
Throughout the ages, this land had been characterized by towering mountains and thick miasma, as well as the countless demons that wreaked havoc, rendering it a harsh environment rivaled only by the Mo Continent.
The human race faced a tough time surviving in the Huang Continent. Yet, for the past 2000 years, the human race had tenaciously multiplied, stubbornly taking root in the Huang Continent. Countless tribes thrived among the mountains, their numbers reaching tens of millions.
All these diverse tribes and beings paid homage to the Huang Temple, the only martial arts sect in the Huang Continent, and one of the major powers of the world.
A towering stone hall perched atop a colossal boulder. Untamed woods stretched from the stone hall in all directions, dotted with structures that housed bizarre creatures. On the Huang Continent, demons outnumbered humans.
Within the stone hall, a gargantuan black-scaled jiaolong was coiled up, emanating a powerful aura. This was none other than the renowned Black Jiao King of the Huang Continent, a creature that had lived for over 800 years.
“Senior Jiao, is it true that Senior Wan Liu has reached the Spiritual Body phase?” A slender woman, dressed in crimson battle armor and a veil over her face, stood amidst two pillars. Her voice was cold but melodious, resonating with a siren-like quality that bewitched all who heard it.
“Hall Master,” Black Jiao King’s deep voice rumbled, “Qiong Sea King informed me that Senior Wan Liu has potentially reached the Spiritual Body phase. He intends to journey to Cloudhill in the Jiang Continent to meet this individual.”
The woman in crimson armor sank into contemplation.
“Hall Master,” Black Jiao King continued, “You are a peerless talent, entering the Heavenly Rankings before the age of 30 and establishing a fifth-degree immortal root. Only the ancient Martial King can rival your talent. However, you are still young, still only at the fifth-stage Qi Sea phase. We don’t have the luxury of time to wait for you to develop further.”
“News of Deity Huang’s death in the devil’s lair cannot remain concealed for long,” Black Jiao King lamented.
“Our Huang Temple has thrived thanks to the devil’s lair. However, in recent centuries, the disturbances within the devil’s lair have intensified. It is evident that the resurgence of spiritual qi is affecting not only our Middle Land but also causing the devil soil around the devil’s lair to mature at an alarming rate, giving birth to increasingly powerful devil soldiers. Our Huang Temple alone can no longer contain this threat! We must seek external assistance.”
“But the ancestral teachings!” the woman in crimson armor protested, her silver earrings tinkling as they swayed.
“The ancestral teachings are meant to be adapted to our circumstances, not rigidly adhered to,” Black Jiao King’s voice rumbled. “Hall Master, I understand your concerns. Once we unseal the devil’s lair, it’s likely that we will never know peace again. Without a ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator, our current strength is inadequate to retain ownership over the devil’s lair..”
“But if we were to keep the news secret, then once the array falters, granting the devil soldiers passage to the surface, chaos will surely consume our world. When that happens, we would not only be sinners of the Huang Continent, but sinners of the Middle Land,” Black Jiao King persuaded. “With Senior Wan Liu around, we may be able to avert this disaster entirely.”
“No!” A resolute glimmer shone with the woman’s eyes. “The temple is part of our ancestral heritage, entrusted to us by our ancestors. I cannot allow it to be destroyed under my rule.”
“I will make one last attempt.”