Chapter 441: There Shouldn

Not long after, the three of them arrived in the Cultivation Realm of Xuan Xiang Realm.

The Locking Spirit and Sealing Void Great Array that separated the Cultivation Realm from the Mortal World reached up to the Heavenly Track, merging with the Void and locking in spiritual energy—it was one of the most mysterious arrays in this realm.

Even for Soul Transformation array masters from Tai Xuan Realm, it was extremely difficult to break it without the proper array-disrupting artifacts.

And even if it were broken, it would inevitably alert the Tian Ling Sect.

Only an array master who had deeply comprehended array principles and had reached the Return to Void stage could dismantle it without alerting anyone.

And before breaking it, one must strictly follow the array's rules and enter the Cultivation Realm through several specific pathways.

But for these three, this restriction could be ignored.

Thus, they did not use the pathways left by the array, but instead entered the Cultivation Realm near a "Lifespan Fruit Domain" under Tian Ling Sect's jurisdiction.

Looking around, most people in the city had wrinkled skin, white hair, hunched postures, cloudy eyes, and even needed canes to walk.

The few who appeared young all had plump earlobes, thick ear rims, eyebrows longer than their eyes, and lustrous hair—the signs of "longevity."

Deep philtrums, clear contours, square lower jaws, and full chins—they had practiced crude cultivation techniques like "Nourishing Life" and "Extending Lifespan."

Logically, those who practiced "Nourishing Life" or "Extending Lifespan" techniques should still have ruddy complexions and bright eyes even in old age…

Yet the people in this city were emaciated, steeped in decay, as if a breeze could knock them down.

And even the oldest-looking person in the city was no older than sixty.

All of this was due to the "Lifespan Severance" array installed in the city.

Nourish lifespan, to be harvested.

Still, if someone truly managed to cultivate even a little spiritual energy through these crude techniques and successfully entered the Dao, they might be taken in as a new seedling.

How could a mortal's lifespan compare to a new seedling of Immortal Dao?

"As consumables, the techniques are the sickle, harvesting heaven and earth, leaving endless poison…" Xu Xing gazed at the distant "Lifespan Fruit Domain" and sighed.

In the end, whether "nourishing lifespan," "nourishing blood and qi," or even other forms of soul force and fortune—

They were all using human potential as "consumables," harvesting heaven and earth to power the "Xuan Xiang Heavenly Track's Transformation into Cang Ceremony."

Xuan Qi—the "Pastoral Spirit" lineage left by Xuan—was essentially a grand gift for the one who ultimately succeeded in "Transformation into Cang."

Without their interference, someone in Xuan Xiang Realm could truly use the Xuan Xiang Heavenly Track to transform into a Cang race member and summon the power of nine six-layer bronze Hun Tian Yi devices.

They would slaughter all the long-cultivated "provisions"—those who had reached Return to Void through external means—and solidify their foundation.

Then, sacrifice the realm's spirit to the Heavenly Track to generate a Chaos Sea beacon, thereby gaining Xuan's pull and entering Tai Xuan Realm as a Cang.

Of course, as always, this was merely a side move.

Now, Xuan had to watch over the far side of the starry sky and monitor the breakthrough of Dong Zhen in the "Ancient Tai Xuan Heaven"—whether it would even respond to this beacon was uncertain.

"But this world itself has sensed unease, so it seeks to save itself," Xu Xing continued.

Xuan descended into this realm and became Xuan Qi.

The Heavenly Track was born within the realm, everything originated from within—so the world itself sensed something was wrong and launched a self-rescue.

Mu Yong, who was reborn and now joined the Tian Ling Sect, was the world's self-rescue method.

Alas, how could a Return to Void-level world resist Xuan's methods?

Even the world's own grand tide was altered at will, let alone this flawed self-rescue.

What seemed like self-rescue became the crucial move that propelled the ceremony forward and accelerated the birth of the Cang race.

Had he not intervened, Mu Yong indeed had a strong chance of using the Xuan Xiang Heavenly Track to "transform into Cang" and then sacrifice the world to generate the beacon.

This was true "dimensional suppression."

"That's ruthless," Bie Xuening frowned slightly.

"Indeed," Xu Xing nodded lightly. "Let's go."

Xuan's methods left no room at all.

But in this regard, they had done the same before.

Wasn't the Cang race's "Severing Heart-Qi" calamity precisely Xu Xing's doing?

There were many other such deeds—hardly spotless.

In the end, each side had different stances, different races—what is an enemy to one is a hero to another…

Speaking of this "Lifespan Fruit Domain," it was currently the time when Tian Ling Sect's envoys entered to harvest the "Lifespan Fruits."

But the visitors weren't only Tian Ling Sect's harvesters—there were also five participants from this Cixian Sect Grand Competition.

Each had used their own methods to sneak into the "Lifespan Fruit Domain," seemingly planning something big.

The Golden Core stage competitors had already moved—how much more so these Soul Transformation ones?

Their initiative was even greater.

Immediately, the three paid no further attention to their next moves and turned away.

From start to finish, Master Mei Zu remained silent.

It was because after being chased and slashed twice by Bie Xuening in the Mortal World, she had decided to behave for a while and avoid provoking her until her anger cooled.

Besides, she'd soon have to go find her disciple!

…

…

On another side, beside the waterfall.

Chi Jiu Yu and Ye Zhiwei faced each other for a while, feeling her position was too low, making her seem inferior in presence.

So she slowly rose until she stood at the same level as Ye Zhiwei.

Simultaneously, faint golden light flared in her eyes—she had directly activated the Grand Void Golden Eye of Illusion-Piercing.

Yet what she saw was only interwoven green and red hues, blending together, shifting into distinct Yin-Yang fish shapes…

Creation and annihilation, vitality and decay had reached a strange balance at this moment.

It even made Chi Jiuyu's Tongming Sword Heart bristle, her sword intent stirred, humming and buzzing.

'This tea seller is no simple matter…'

This Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator is seriously hard to deal with — any random person is tough to handle!

Just as she was muttering inwardly.

The green-and-red yin-yang fish before her eyes suddenly vanished, replaced by surging crimson light, radiating boundless heat, as if a terrifying wave of flame was sweeping and scorching toward her.

Not until Chi Jiuyu stopped her Grand Void False-Break Golden Pupils did the various strange visions in her eyes fade along with it.

"That's too much." A hint of displeasure colored Ye Zhiwei's tone.

I came to you to cooperate, and you just activate a divine ability to observe my details — what does that mean?

"What's the big deal, your eyeballs are just as colorful…" Chi Jiuyu muttered under her breath.

Ye Zhiwei: "…"

This 'outer appearance' of mine is left over from cultivating divine abilities — can that even compare?

"Alright, alright, I apologize to you, sorry, sorry!"

This matter was her doing wrong; Hehuan Laozu is still very reasonable.

"Let's talk business. You said you wanted to cooperate with me? Cooperate on what? And how did you recognize me?"

Though she spoke this way, her mind had already gripped her life-bound sword — at the slightest hint of anything wrong she would draw the blade, stir the moisture here, and deliver a thunderous strike to this tea seller!

Her current appearance was slightly concealed, yet this tea seller could still recognize her — it's hard to say it wasn't an ambush.

After all, that bunch of sixth-masters from Jishi Valley is second only to Taishang Dao Sect!

"I've seen your sword intent before, recognizing you isn't hard. As for the reason I'm looking for you…"

Ye Zhiwei didn't waste many words, stating her purpose crisply and cleanly.

"I believe you already have some understanding of certain situations in this world. I came across a 'Soul Force Fruit Domain' that I can't take alone, so I'm looking for you to cooperate."

Although Chi Jiuyu is a bit abstract, her moral character… temperament… personality…

Is a bit hard to describe.

In any case, she probably wouldn't be indifferent to the various sights of this world.

Still counts as a viable cooperation partner.

Actually, before Chi Jiuyu, she had also encountered someone from Taishang Dao Sect…

But that bunch of sixth-masters was too underhanded; she couldn't trust them.

"Soul Force Fruit Domain… you wouldn't be trying to set me up, would you?"

"No."

They faced off for a while longer…

"Fine then, I believe you."

Chi Jiuyu drifted toward her, landing at Ye Zhiwei's side.

Before she could even open her mouth to say anything, Chi Jiuyu, quite the social butterfly, had already started asking questions.

"Why are you wearing a mask?"

"What's your relationship with Dog Bro? You said you're not his online romance partner — then how do you know all this?"

Like a curious baby, the moment she landed she started rattling off several questions.

"…" Ye Zhiwei was silent for two seconds, then decided not to answer these irrelevant questions. "That Soul Force Fruit Domain is outside the safe zone, and time-wise we might not make it."

"No worries, no worries! I just happen to want to meet whoever can chase me down at the same realm!"

Ye Zhiwei nodded slightly — she thought the same.

"Then let's go."

"Oh." Chi Jiuyu followed along.

However, before they'd walked a few steps, she started asking again.

"Who exactly are you? The one in an online romance with Dog Bro really isn't you?"

"No."

"Your eyeball colors aren't even the same — you don't have a split personality, do you, where the other personality is the one in an online romance with Dog Bro?"

"No."

"Then how do you know? Tell me! Dog Bro's little sister — you know her, right? She's also my good friend, I'm not an outsider!"

"…"

Why does she talk so much?

Could it be that cooperation is secondary, and the main goal is to dig up gossip?

"Hey! It couldn't really be that kind of trick, could it — you're the head of a scam ring!"

"I'm not, that's my little sister!"

Unable to endure Chi Jiuyu's pestering any longer, Ye Zhiwei finally revealed the truth.

"Oh… your little sister." So that's how it is. "Don't worry, don't worry — Dog Bro is a bit off, but he's still a decent person."

For Little Zhao's sake, Chi Jiuyu still put in a good word for Dog Bro.

"My little sister is sixteen this year." Ye Zhiwei said coldly.

Ah, this…!

Chi Jiuyu was dumbfounded.

This reason was one she had never considered — although everyone here is a cultivator…

But according to Little Zhao, it was just over a year ago, which is really a bit…

As they spoke, the two had already covered quite a distance.

Seeing no traces of traps, Chi Jiuyu tightly gripped his sword's edge, his latent spiritual awareness gradually retreating.

One must never let down one's guard!

……

……

One after another, more participants in the Xian Sect Grand Competition were eliminated.

Yet even so, nearly a hundred remained.

And among these, the vast majority had already clashed with local factions.

These were among the very top young cultivators of the Xuan Realm, their divine abilities peerless, their techniques earth-shattering—ordinary Soul Transformation cultivators of the Xuanxiang Realm… even those at the peak of Soul Transformation were no match for them in a single clash.

Only those who had returned to emptiness could suppress them.

But those who had returned to emptiness in the Xuanxiang Realm called themselves "Immortal Sovereigns," each towering above all others, so only a few whose interests were harmed dared act.

The result? Frightened by the "System of the Scales of Time," none of them dared move again.

Under the Heavenly Track Spirit Absorption System, they cherished their own cultivation too dearly—how could they afford to lose their hard-won progress in deadly fights?

In truth, many auxiliary modules could be loaded, but only a few were truly practical.

The reason most participants in this Xian Sect Grand Competition loaded the "System of the Scales of Time" was precisely because this auxiliary module was genuinely practical.

Thus, those participants who took action threw the entire Cultivation Realm into chaos!

Within just a few days, several guardians of fruit domains under Tianling Sect's control were killed.

The other two major sects fared no better—the Grand Elder of Tianji Palace, a Return to Emptiness cultivator, flew out in fury, yet he was only at the early stage of Return to Emptiness, newly ascended; he was immediately subdued by four or five "Scales of Time" units and fell silent on the spot.

Had he not fled quickly, he might have become the first Return to Emptiness cultivator of the Xuanxiang Realm to be killed.

Canglan Sword Palace suffered too—several Sword Offering Cities were destroyed.

And the Modaoda Sects like Xue Jin Gang Temple fared even worse.

But for the participants of the Xian Sect Grand Competition, the real trouble wasn't the evil cultivators—it was those treated as "consumables"!

They felt nothing amiss with their situation—their thinking had become completely rigid.

Time was too short; even though each participant possessed astonishing divine abilities, they had no good solution for this kind of thing!

Yet their actions were observed by Xuan Xing, the second patriarch of Tianling Sect and the foremost Return to Emptiness cultivator in the Xuanxiang Realm, through the Heavenly Track.

Noticing their leniency toward ordinary people and newly initiated cultivators, he devised a response.

He directly lured them with spiritual energy and spiritual objects, compelling those "consumables," the newly initiated seedlings, to seek them out and launch desperate, life-or-death attacks!

Even if they were all used up, more could be drawn from the mortal realm.

Mortal lives are thin but numerous—raise them for two or three generations and they'll be usable!

Though this method posed no real threat, it did indeed cause the participants considerable trouble.

Meanwhile, in a soul-force fruit domain under Tianling Sect's control.

The execution platform in the city.

Zeng!

A chilling sword light flared—a massive head shot upward, blood spraying from the headless body.

Pure killing intent shredded all life in an instant.

"Alright, they're all dead."

Chi Jiuyu flicked his fingers, sending a golden flame that landed on the headless body, burning it to ash.

"Mm." Ye Zhiwei nodded slightly beside him.

These past days working with Chi Jiuyu.

He had to admit—though this guy was bizarre, his sword arts were astonishingly powerful, and he was so young…

"What do we do with these people?"

Chi Jiuyu pointed toward the people before the platform.

Their eyes were dull, faces pale with heavy dark circles, clearly traumatized.

Now they stared at Chi Jiuyu and Ye Zhiwei with terror and hatred, yet dared not approach.

Another group wore the attire of Tianling Sect's Miao-level disciples, bound into bundles by emerald-green vines sprouting from the ground and suspended midair.

Coincidentally, Mu Yong was among them, his heart still trembling with shock.

Who exactly are these two?!

This shouldn't have happened in the future! (End of Chapter)