Chapter 291

In the silent jungle, magnificent buildings gleamed with golden light, as if nurturing a sun, and even the starry fields seemed to droop, with the Milky Way flowing.

The heavens and earth were vast, yet only this gleam of light became the most eye-catching color in the boundless mountains and forests.

Before the building stood a tiger upright like a person, speaking human words, leaving all the students dazed.

Hua Tiancheng had long been accustomed to the Northeast Tiger's way of speaking; he bowed slightly and said, 'Your Majesty Tiger King, I entrust these over one hundred students of our academy to the elders of Longyuan Mountain Range.'

'If there's anything you need help with, please speak up.'

Facing Hua Tiancheng's request, the Northeast Tiger patted his chest and said, 'Rest assured, I will take care of this; the master has ordered us, and we will surely give our full assistance.'

In a few days, the Great King's other brothers will also arrive.

Although these monsters seemed somewhat unreliable on the surface, Hua Tiancheng knew they kept their promises; whatever they agreed to would certainly be done.

'If that's the case, then I'll take my leave first; the construction of the Longyuan Immortal Sect and the matter of the Nine Provinces Immortal Cauldron still await my attention.'

As the chief of the Cultivation Bureau, Hua Tiancheng had many duties; now he could barely find time, yet he felt at ease handing these students over to the Great Demon.

However—

Hua Tiancheng glanced at the still-dazed students, hesitating to speak: 'Should I explain this in detail? I fear they might not accept it.'

The Northeast Tiger waved his paw and said, 'What's there to explain? As a disciple of the Great King, lacking even this mental fortitude is simply disgraceful.'

'Don't worry; with the Great King present, nothing will go wrong.'

As his words fell, the Northeast Tiger's beastly eyes flashed with a hint of cunning; he extended his furry claw, casually slashing through the void, and spiritual light burst forth instantly.

'It's getting late; let's begin the first lesson now.'

As the Northeast Tiger's words finished, a huge formation appeared, enveloping all the students; mysterious patterns and symbols glittered within.

The ground emitted a continuous humming, as if an earthquake were approaching; all the students staggered, swaying left and right, and when they regained their senses, the surrounding scenery had dramatically changed.

The original flat ground was replaced by an endless abyss of ten thousand zhang!

The cliff was pitch-black, a sheer wall of ten thousand zhang; looking down, one could see no bottom, as if it connected to the Nine Netherworld Realms, and a moment's carelessness would mean being smashed to pieces.

A few small stones rolled down, yet not even a sound was heard.

Near the cliff stood over a hundred white pillars, each about two to three meters tall, erected at the cliff's center; their white stone bodies contrasted sharply with the surrounding dark cliffs.

No one knew where these pillars led; they stretched endlessly into the dark depths.

Seeing this scene, everyone felt a sense of dread.

Just moments ago there was no cliff; in the blink of an eye it seemed to appear out of nowhere, with gusts of yin wind at the rim, truly chilling to the bone.

Everyone was stunned, instinctively wanting to move farther from the cliff, fearing that a misstep would send them plunging to a fate of leaving no corpse behind.

The Northeast Tiger looked at his handiwork and nodded in satisfaction.

'The master once said, cultivators should fear nothing and press forward; the most important aspect of cultivation is refining the heart!'

'As a cultivator, what is most needed is an unstoppable momentum and the courage to face difficulties and setbacks!'

'Now that you have just stepped onto the path, this is the perfect time to experience it.'

Having said that, without waiting for the students' reaction, the Northeast Tiger extended his furry claw again and swept it toward where they stood.

The heavens and earth shifted suddenly, and fierce winds rose.

A strong wind blew straight at them; the students felt the world spin, their heads swam, and they were actually flung straight up into the sky!

Amidst rising and falling cries, when the students finally reacted, they discovered they had landed on the white stone pillars.

Everyone was so frightened they froze in place.

Above was a pitch-black sky; all around lay an endless abyss where a fall would mean being smashed to pieces, with no visible bottom.

Someone boldly glanced down; a whooshing wind rushed up, and below it seemed a great abyssal beast lurked, its bloody maw open, waiting for them to fall.

The white pillars swayed in the wind, utterly fragile, as if a gust would snap them.

Everyone quickly averted their gaze, clutching the edges of the pillars tightly; an unprecedented fear gripped their hearts—none had ever seen such a scene, and they were instantly terrified, legs going weak, bodies trembling, some even collapsing onto the pillars.

'Save me!'

'What the hell is this?! I have acrophobia!'

Rising and falling shrieks tore through the silent night, and even the timid students burst into tears on the spot.

Actually, not only were many students stunned, but Hua Tiancheng himself also showed an expression of disbelief.

In the blink of an eye, the flat ground turned into a cliff, and the students were thrown onto it.

Know that these students are the academy's finest talents, with limitless potential and a bright future; any mistake would be an enormous loss.

Hua Tiancheng wanted to speak but held back: 'Surely nothing will happen, right?'

Seeing his worried gaze, the Northeast Tiger, calm and composed, shook his head and said, 'Don't worry; they won't be harmed. Though the cliff looks bottomless, there are protective formations below—even if they fell, they'd be fine.'

'In dire straits one can unleash potential; I'm doing this for their own good—if I don't push them, they'll never know their true strength.'

Looking at the students who dared not move on the stone pillars, Dongbei Hu roared at the top of his voice: "Get moving for this king! Lying there hemming and hawing—are you waiting to die?"

As cultivators, you should not fear difficulties, forge ahead bravely, struggle with heaven and earth, coexist with time; now a mere stone pillar has frightened you like this—if you later face greater setbacks, won't you desert the battlefield?

The stone pillars you are lying on bear cultivation methods; calm your mind, still your breath, discard distracting thoughts, and learn to control the power within yourselves.

In three hours, the stone pillars will collapse on their own; you are only 15 meters from the cliff. If you fail to learn, you have only a dead end—don't blame this king for not warning you.

Dongbei Hu deliberately made the situation sound extremely dire; hearing this, everyone's faces turned deathly pale.

The massive influx of information struck their minds, leaving them no time to think; for a while, cries for father and mother rose and fell.

I must be dreaming—how could such absurdity exist in the world?

Cultivators aren't something that only appear in novels.

Whether it's true or not, I have no interest in being a cultivator; I want to go home.

Facing these students' wailing, Dongbei Hu didn't care at all, he slapped the stone pillar directly; the white pillar beneath that student creaked, and immediately a lot of fragments fell down.

You just said something about the wind being too loud; I didn't hear clearly—if you have the guts, say it again.

Dongbei Hu carelessly waved his claws; the dangerous intent was obvious without a word.

That student was scared like a quail, trembling, and hurriedly shook his head, saying, "I said I want to cultivate!"

The Northeast Tiger then satisfiedly nodded, looked at Hua Tiancheng beside him, and said, "You can go back now; I'm here."

Seeing the group of students whose faces had turned deathly pale from fright, Hua Tiancheng couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth, feeling that the Northeast Tiger seemed a bit unreliable.

But he felt embarrassed to say it out loud, so he could only watch from the side, lest something really go wrong.

In fact, it proved that the Northeast Tiger's approach was quite correct; although it was a bit fierce, the effect was remarkably significant.

Those students, indeed worthy of being genius-level existences, although they had panicked for a long time on the stone pillar, after a while, upon seeing Hua Tiancheng and the Northeast Tiger, they simply stood by with folded arms.

Gradually regaining their composure, they knew they could only rely on themselves, examined the inscriptions on the stone pillar, then sat cross-legged on the ground, as if entering a state of cultivation.

Occasionally, a few sobs still sounded, but as more and more people entered cultivation, those sobs gradually faded away.

Everyone around was cultivating; they also dried their tears and joined the ranks of those cultivating.

Watching the students gradually become quiet, Hua Tiancheng stared agape and couldn't help muttering, "This actually works!"

Is this the world of cultivators?

How come even their cultivation methods are different from ours!

As expected of a Great Demon of the Longyuan Mountain Range, inviting them out of the mountains was indeed the right decision; to have these students start cultivating in such a short time, the efficiency is simply extraordinary.

Actually, this is not at all a cultivator's learning method; it's merely the survival instinct at work.

If they continued to cry there, being timid and inactive, who knows if after three hours they might really fall?

Looking at that fierce tiger's menacing appearance, it truly is ruthless; these students dare not gamble with their lives, after all, life only comes once.

At this moment, Hua Tiancheng finally could put his mind at ease, preparing to leave the academy, when suddenly changes arose.

Only a white streak of spiritual light was seen rushing from the mountain base and landing on the Northeast Tiger's body.

The Northeast Tiger, somewhat puzzled, said, "Master, why are you sending me a message at this time?"

Hearing this, even Hua Tiancheng became curious.

After reading Ye Qin's message, the Northeast Tiger glanced at Hua Tiancheng and said, "Just now Master sent me a message saying he wants to see you about something; he's already waiting at the mountain base."

Hua Tiancheng's expression shifted slightly, and he hurriedly asked, "Did the Demonic Master say what he wants with me?"

The Northeast Tiger shook his head: "Master didn't say those things; you'll find out when you go."

Hua Tiancheng dared not delay any further and hurriedly headed toward the mountain base.

The night was like a pale green curtain draped over the entire forest; the moon was bright but stars sparse, the whole woods silent to the extreme, with no insect chirps or bird calls, only the sound of Hua Tiancheng's footsteps on dry twigs and fallen leaves.

Occasionally, a mountain breeze swept by, causing the nearby leaves to rustle softly, making the heavens and earth seem even vaster and the mountains more tranquil.

Just as Hua Tiancheng had descended the mountain, he saw a graceful figure with its back to him, seemingly sensing the movement behind; the figure slowly turned, revealing a lovely face.

It was indeed Longling's doppelgänger.

Externally, she is an existence second only to the mysterious 'Demonic Immortal,' and is the master of all demons.

But outsiders don't know that the Demonic Immortal, who has not yet appeared, is also the master; the two are essentially one entity.

The moon's silver radiance fell upon her, enveloping her in a faint halo; even her exquisite face seemed to become illusory and ethereal, like a Moon Palace fairy descending on moonlight, giving the sensation of ascending to immortality at any moment.

Such a face is rarely seen in the world, let alone her otherworldly demeanor; Hua Tiancheng felt awe and hastily bowed to Longling's doppelgänger.

"I don't know what the Demonic Master wants with me."

Longling's doppelgänger spoke lightly, "This time I have come to inform you of an important matter: besides the Nine Provinces Divine Cauldron, you also need to go to various famous mountains and rivers to build temples."

Hua Tiancheng showed a hint of confusion, not understanding what Longling's doppelgänger meant, and asked, "May I ask, Demonic Master, what does this mean? Could you please clarify?"

"This is to make offerings to the ancients and enjoy the incense of the mortal world."

Longling's doppelgänger briefly explained the matter of reviving the ancients, but did not mention the detailed reasons; Hua Tiancheng and the others only need to know the gist.

"The reason those Great Demons go to various mountains and rivers is not to seize territory or expand power; the main purpose is to let those ancients be resurrected, for once they truly revive, they are innate cultivators, so as to counteract heavenly and earthly calamities."

After hearing Longling's doppelgänger's explanation, Hua Tiancheng finally showed an expression of sudden realization, "Is there really such a miraculous thing in the world? Can people who have been dead for thousands of years still be revived?"

"In other words, we have a chance to see ancient sages, even ancient emperors?"

You should know that these people's flesh has long since rotted away; likely only a skeleton remains, and some may not even have that.

Compared to Hua Tiancheng's shock, Longling's doppelgänger appeared much calmer: "This is natural, but their revival also requires conditions; the whole process is extremely troublesome and not at all easy."

"This matter is personally handled by the Demonic Immortal; you need not ask further, just carry it out."

If it weren't for Ye Qin using the Supreme Clarity as a medium, seeking out fragments of mottled years, entering those years, and forming various karmic ties with these people, this subsequent series of events would not have occurred.

Afterward, moreover, by leveraging that karmic power, they guided the souls of those people into the present world, then sought further opportunities.

From this, it can be seen that it was predestined in the dark.

Even if he now possesses heaven-defying cultivation, reviving these people would still require various arrangements; if it could be done casually, wouldn't the world be in chaos?

As for the detailed process, Longling's doppelgänger did not tell Hua Tiancheng; however, hearing her earlier remark that even the Demonic Immortal finds it so troublesome, calling it a complicated matter, one can imagine it is absolutely not simple.

Hua Tiancheng couldn't help but feel curious, "May I ask, which ancients does the Demonic Master intend to revive?"

"Qin Shi Huang, Zuo Chi, Zhi Dun, Zhang Zhedian, Li Bai, Guan Zhong, Guiguzi, Ji Kang."

"Many..."

Longling's doppelgänger uttered a long string of names, after all there's nothing to hide; when these ancients are fully resurrected and appear in the world, everyone will eventually know.

It would be better to inform the Great Xia officials in advance, so they have some preparation in mind.

Upon hearing these names, Hua Tiancheng couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air; these names are like thunder to the ears, and their deeds are renowned through the ages.

His expression went from initial astonishment and stupor to eventually becoming numb.

Which of these people is not a prominent figure that resounds through history!

They all left a bold and vivid mark in history, stirring up countless waves in the river of history, causing turmoil, filled with various legendary colors, attracting countless later generations to explore and study.

One could say that without these people's existence, the several thousand years of history and culture of Great Xia would become dim and lackluster.

Pick any one of these figures at random, and they are existences that make later generations tremble with a stomp of the foot.

Hua Tiancheng stammered as he asked, "Are what the Demonic Master said really true? Will these people truly be revived?"

If these ancient people really came back to life, he couldn't imagine how big a stir they would cause in Greater Xia, and even their ancestors are among them!

Longling's double looked at him calmly, "Do you think I'm joking?"

Hua Tiancheng's breath caught; monsters have appeared, the formations, elixirs, and basic cultivation methods from the novels now exist, the Cosmic Cultivation Civilization is real, and Earth is about to face an unprecedented catastrophe.

One challenge after another tested his worldview, but the idea of ancient people coming back to life is simply too fantastical.

Even if these great demons possess mysterious means, they can produce things like the Nine Provinces Immortal Cauldron—could they even reverse life and death? If so, that would be too defiant of heaven.

Assuming these ancient people could truly be revived, according to what Longling's double said, they are natural cultivators, immensely powerful, favored by heaven, and would provide great combat strength.

For humanity worldwide, this would be extremely fortunate.

Moreover, these are all the ancestors of the Greater Xia people; with their blessings, plus the many demons of Longyuan Mountain, the many cultivators of Greater Xia, and the existence of the Nine Provinces Immortal Cauldron, facing heavenly and earthly catastrophes, the Greater Xia High Officials have greater confidence.

But the premise is that these ancient people can truly be revived; otherwise, it's all empty talk.

Longling's double was unaware of Hua Tiancheng's hesitation.

"Hurry up and build the temples; if the incense flourishes, the time for those ancient people to revive will be greatly reduced, making our situation even stronger—after all, we don't have much time left."

Although Hua Tiancheng had many doubts, he still followed the instructions of Longling's double without fail, after all, the demons had no reason to deceive them.

"Rest assured, Demon Master, we will keep the incense in those temples thriving and meet your demands as soon as possible."

"That's excellent."

After Hua Tiancheng and Longling's double said goodbye, he immediately returned to the 749 Bureau, issuing several orders and notices in succession, and began constructing temples at famous mountains and rivers everywhere.

The scale of those temples doesn't need to be particularly large, and they aren't difficult to build—compared to the Nine Provinces Immortal Cauldron, it's utterly simple, a mere trifle.

They did what they needed to do; the rest is up to fate.

Ancient people coming back to life? Meeting across a thousand years, ancestors descending into the modern age! If this were exposed to the outside world, just thinking about it makes one's scalp tingle……(End of chapter)