That person would arrive as expected.
From the coast of the South Sea to the Oracle Mystic Realm, riding a Spirit Whale took less than half a day to reach the “Nameless Island” where the realm was located.
After delivering everyone to the island, the Spirit Whale swam into the depths of the sea and vanished without a trace.
“This is my first time seeing a Spirit Whale. I’ve heard these spirit beasts are the most sentient, gentle, and obedient. Now that I see one, it’s truly so,” a cultivator sighed in admiration.
“This is a spirit beast from Penglai Immortal Island, naturally it cannot be compared to other spirit beasts.”
“Abbot, Wujian Temple has always had a close relationship with Penglai. For this operation to seal 100,000 Demon Cultists, will the Penglai Island Master be coming?” The speaker was Feng Hua, the Sect Master of Immeasurable Tower.
The Abbot pressed his palms together and said, “For an event of this magnitude, the Penglai Island Master will advance and retreat together with everyone.”
Within the Oracle Mystic Realm, 100,000 Demon Cultists were suppressed. The cultivators from various sects and independent cultivators who had rushed here totaled less than 3,000. Their cultivation bases were all above the “Heartbeat” stage, and those at the Body Integration Realm or above included only Gongsun Shanghe of the Eight Divinities Palace and Guan Zhengping of the Primordial Pavilion. The leader of Immeasurable Tower was still in seclusion for a breakthrough that could not be interrupted, lest his life be endangered.
No one knew the current cultivation level of those 100,000 sealed Demon Cultists.
But looking at the situation now, the disparity in numbers and strength between the two sides was still far too great.
Hearing now that the Penglai Island Master would come, the crowd felt somewhat more at ease.
After all, the Penglai Island Master was already a person with half a foot in the path of immortality.
Upon hearing this, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
“That’s good… that’s good…”
“The Penglai Island Master coming is truly like sending charcoal in the snow!”
“If I can catch the eye of the Penglai Island Master and gain her appreciation, my path of cultivation will surely soar!”
“To be able to enter Penglai, one’s immortal path will be smooth!”
…
The older generation within the sects, or independent cultivators who had trained outside for many years, still knew some of the rumors about Penglai. But the younger disciples on the island, upon hearing “Penglai Immortal Island,” had more confusion and doubt in their eyes.
“What is Penglai Immortal Island? Is it a sect?” a disciple of the Eight Divinities Palace asked curiously. “Why are so many cultivators longing to go to Penglai Immortal Island?”
“Hmph, that just shows your ignorance,” a disciple of Immeasurable Tower snorted.
“Who are you calling ignorant?” The Eight Divinities Palace disciple was indignant. “If you know, just say it. What are you pretending for? Be careful not to swell your face just to look fat.”
The Immeasurable Tower disciple was also not one to back down and immediately rolled up his sleeves. “Who are you calling fat?”
“I just know more than you!”
“So what if I call you fat?” The Eight Divinities Palace disciple puffed out his chest and raised his head, looking down his nose. “If you’ve got the ability, tell us. Let me hear if you’re just bragging?”
“Yeah! Mu Han, tell us. You’re the Young Sect Master of Immeasurable Tower, after all. Your father must have told you these things, right?”
“That’s right, Mu Han, do tell. We all want to know what this Penglai Immortal Island does,” a disciple of Cangsheng Valley asked curiously.
Mu Han glared at the Eight Divinities Palace disciple and said fiercely, “You wait, Fu Nai. Once I enter the secret realm, see if I don’t deal with you!”
Fu Nai sneered, “He who fears is the grandson.”
Mu Han looked at the eager, knowledge-seeking gazes of the crowd, sighed, and said, “I don’t actually know that much…”
Fu Nai let out two snickers, about to mock him.
Mu Han immediately added, “But definitely more than you all, and more than certain arrogant and ignorant people.”
Fu Nai rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
“Penglai Immortal Island is an immortal island in the South Sea that never sinks. Legend says the island is filled with countless spirit treasures, spirit beasts roam everywhere, and spiritual power is vast and surging.
If a cultivator can train on Penglai Immortal Island, achieving the goal of attaining the Dao and ascending to immortality will certainly be twice as effective for half the effort. That is why every Penglai Island Master ascends to immortality within a hundred years.”
“Wow… is that true?” a Cangsheng Valley disciple exclaimed in awe.
Fu Nai curled his lip. “Who knows if he’s just spouting nonsense? Ascend to immortality within a hundred years? Do you think attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal is like playing house, that you can just ascend whenever you want?”
There had indeed been people on the Profound Nether Continent who had ascended, but that was over five hundred years ago. Now, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth was growing thinner and thinner, and spirit veins were shrinking, making cultivation more difficult.
Hearing now that Penglai Immortal Island had someone ascend to immortality every hundred years was simply absurd.
“Call yourself ignorant and you still won’t admit it. Just because you don’t know something doesn’t mean it’s impossible,” Mu Han retorted. “Penglai Immortal Island is not a territory of the Profound Nether Continent. It is free, independent. It is a holy land that all cultivators under heaven yearn for.”
“When each Penglai Island Master ascends, they choose the next Island Master and impart the Penglai Spirit Law to them. It is said that anyone who cultivates the Penglai Spirit Law will achieve full enlightenment within a hundred years—it’s just a matter of time.”
Seeing Mu Han’s serious expression, which didn’t seem feigned, his reasonable and well-founded words instilled some belief in the hearts of the crowd.
Fu Nai asked, “You’ve said so much. Have you actually met the Penglai Island Master? Do you know if they are male or female? How old?”
Mu Han snorted. “Go ask your father, the Sect Master of the Eight Divinities Palace. I’m afraid even he wouldn’t be able to answer that.”
Fu Nai frowned, about to say something, when he heard someone call for assembly.
He glared at Mu Han and left with a harsh threat, “You just wait!”
Mu Han raised his chin. “Your granddaddy will be waiting.”
The surrounding crowd dispersed, each returning to their sect’s team.
Jing Chen watched Mu Han and Fu Nai glaring at each other with mutual dislike and smiled. “The Sect Master of the Eight Divinities Palace and the Sect Master of Immeasurable Tower are close friends. It’s just these two Young Sect Masters can’t stand the sight of each other.”
“Good thing they’re both men. If one were male and the other female, they’d have been engaged to each other since childhood.”
Gu Chuan frowned and said, “Don’t discuss such matters lightly.”
Jing Chen also knew that talking about this could bring taboos from the two sects, and nodded. “Alright.”
Gu Chuan raised his eyes to look at Lu Qing’an standing beside You Luan. From the moment they left the Primordial Pavilion until now, Lu Qing’an hadn’t looked at him once.
Gu Chuan smiled bitterly with a sense of loss.
It must have been that his words this morning had frightened her, which was why she was keeping such distance from him.
Lu Qing’an lowered her gaze, stroking the storage ring on her finger.
Just looking at its exterior, it was simply a very ordinary jade ring, unremarkable in appearance. But in reality, it held hidden depths and concealed great power.
Cheng Huan’s restrictive barrier was on the storage ring—others couldn’t detect its remarkable aspects, simply treating it as an ornament.
This storage ring had been hung on the apricot tree in the courtyard. Lu Qing’an had seen it the moment she stepped out her door.
She knew Cheng Huan had found it for her, and she thought Cheng Huan had come. But she had called for her for a long time, yet Cheng Huan never appeared.
It seemed their bet was still on. She hadn’t advanced, so Cheng Huan wouldn’t come out to see her.
Lu Qing’an touched the storage ring, a barely perceptible trace of loss flashing in her eyes. She murmured soundlessly, “So… heartless?”
—
Nameless Island had an immortal restriction protecting the secret realm, precisely to prevent people from entering the realm to steal treasures and release the Demon Cultists.
Everyone combined their strength to tear open an entrance in the immortal restriction, and all the cultivators slowly entered.
You Luan’s expression was grave. He looked at Lu Qing’an and instructed, “Qing’an, once inside the secret realm, stay close to your master. The Oracle Mystic Realm is different from other secret realms. This place might be even more dangerous than the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss.”
Lu Qing’an said solemnly, “Yes.”
You Luan looked at Gu Chuan and all the disciples of the Primordial Pavilion, raising his voice: “The Oracle Mystic Realm is fraught with danger. Everyone must be extremely careful.”
“Yes—”
You Luan turned to Guan Zhengping, cupped his hands, and said, “Elder Guan, I’ll trouble you to keep a careful watch.”
Guan Zhengping understood the meaning behind You Luan’s words. He stroked his graying beard and nodded. “Very well.”
Once everyone was prepared, they entered the Oracle Mystic Realm together.
The immortal restriction of the Oracle Mystic Realm appeared like a calm, wave-less sea surface standing vertically, connecting heaven and earth.
On either side of the restriction, one side was a beach of pure, flawless white, and the other was a lush green forest.
But after everyone had entered the Oracle Mystic Realm, they discovered the scenery they had seen from outside had completely changed.
Some saw mountains of corpses and seas of blood; some saw fields of scattered bones. Some saw broken walls and ruins; some saw blue seas and green mountains…
Everyone discovered one terrifying thing: from the very instant they entered the Oracle Mystic Realm, they were completely alone.
Lu Qing’an realized this very quickly. She immediately summoned the Cloud-Cutting Sword and cautiously watched her surroundings.
The scene before her eyes was far too peaceful and beautiful. A clear stream, carp leaping out of the water, their tails slapping the surface as if very happy.
In the distance was a large bamboo forest. Wind rustled through the tips, creating a shooshing sound. Bamboo leaves fluttered on the wind, landing beside Lu Qing’an.
Upstream from the stream was a thatched hut. It looked shabby and worn, like an abandoned, uninhabited dwelling. Yet what was astonishing was that wisps of cooking smoke were drifting out from the chimney.
Cooking smoke curling in the Oracle Mystic Realm?
This was simply unbelievable.
Lu Qing’an surveyed her surroundings. Everything felt wrong.
She advanced with her sword, moving toward that eerie thatched hut.
