Chapter 61

Li Zhangsheng heard the words, his gaze turning to the black-haired elder's hand where he wore a thumb ring.

To be honest, he really felt a bit curious about the things of the Immortal Realm, "Then thank you."

Li Zhangsheng also didn't stand on ceremony, bowing his body to take off that thumb ring, his divine sense sweeping inside it.

Inside was an independent space similar to a secret realm, with an unusually rich spiritual aura.

There were high mountains and river water.

That river water was different from ordinary river water, emitting a crystalline jewel light.

It looked similar to the spiritual springs of the myriad worlds, but the aura it emitted was far higher than that of a spiritual spring, obviously an advanced cultivation resource of the Immortal Realm.

Beside that river water stood a house, surrounded by grasslands where some immortal herbs were planted, each stalk suffused with rosy light.

Li Zhangsheng noticed that the inside of the house resembled a study, with several bookshelves filled with all kinds of books.

Most striking was a jet-black desk at the innermost part of the house, upon which lay four shining jade slips, apparently the most precious things here.

"The storage equipment of this Immortal Realm is far superior to the storage rings of the Lower Realm."

Li Zhangsheng couldn't help but praise it.

"The Foreign Demon is dead, and I have no more obsession either, fellow Daoist, may I ask you for one last favor?"

The black-haired elder said slowly, his voice growing even weaker, looking as if he could breathe his last at any moment.

"Speak." Li Zhangsheng nodded lightly.

"After this trace of my obsession dissipates, could you please bury our ten fellow disciples here? It would be my final wish."

The black-haired elder looked around; when that Foreign Demon burst out, the ground shook violently, and the corpses of his fellow disciples who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground toppled over, some even falling into the cracks in the ground.

"I have learned some healing arts; would you like me to try them on you?" Li Zhangsheng said, looking at the black-haired elder.

The black-haired elder shook his head, his voice even weaker: "It's useless; in truth, the real me has already died."

"What I am now is merely a trace of obsession left behind before my death, merely watching this Foreign Demon."

"Now that this Foreign Demon has been slain by you, I no longer have any obsession..."

As he spoke, the black-haired elder's voice gradually faded, finally cutting off abruptly.

Li Zhangsheng looked at the black-haired elder, sighed, took out a wine gourd, and took a sip of wine.

With a casual lift of his hand, the ten corpses floated up, and then he dug ten pits with his fingers from afar, burying them one by one.

These ten individuals, to block the Foreign Demon, sacrificed themselves for others, which earned Li Zhangsheng's admiration.

After finishing everything, Li Zhangsheng's divine sense entered the thumb ring's space.

With a thought of his divine sense, he took out the four jade slips lying on the desk inside the house within the thumb ring's space.

Li Zhangsheng swept his divine sense over them, thereby extracting the information contained in those four jade slips.

Three of the jade slips recorded three Dao arts of the Immortal Realm, quite high in standard; apparently they were the supreme inheritance of the immortal sect that the black-haired elder previously belonged to.

As for the remaining jade slip, it recorded the historical origins of the immortal sect of that black-haired elder.

"Yiling Immortal Sect."

Li Zhangsheng extracted the key information; the black-haired elder's immortal sect was called the Yiling Immortal Sect, a major immortal sect of that era.

After a brief understanding, Li Zhangsheng's divine sense rested upon the inheritance of those three Dao arts.

Earlier, listening to the black-haired elder, the law suppression of the Immortal Realm is tens of thousands of times that of the Lower Realm.

"After coming up, whenever I use 'flash', I always feel a sluggish sensation, not at all smooth; obviously it's related to the law suppression of the Immortal Realm!"

"According to the elder's meaning, it seems I am high in level but haven't upgraded any skills related to that?"

"In the Lower Realm, the heavenly Dao's laws are thin, so using skills or not makes no difference, but in the Immortal Realm, they are clearly somewhat restricted."

"I should also learn some skills beyond alchemy, formations, talismans, and artifacts; moreover, the skills of this Immortal Realm seem to be rather advanced."

"Hmm... let's give it a try."

Thinking, Li Zhangsheng's divine sense carefully probed one of the jade slips.

This jade slip records a Dao art called the "Classic of the Ruin God's Eye"; the Dao arts spoken of in the Immortal Realm are probably what the people of the Lower Realm call immortal arts.

The "Classic of the Ruin God's Eye" is an eye-type attack immortal art; while cultivating it, one can continually enhance the power of one's divine sense.

This immortal art is the highest-category inheritance immortal art within the Yiling Immortal Sect; its cultivation difficulty is quite high, and the requirements for the cultivator's physique and talent are quite strict.

Li Zhangsheng read it carefully once, thinking to proceed according to the recorded method.

Buzz!

In an instant, Li Zhangsheng felt his field of view continually expanding, raised higher and higher...

Soon, a pair of enormous eyes appeared in the Grand Void.

The full panorama of this heaven and earth was immediately reflected in Li Zhangsheng's eyes.

At this moment, Li Zhangsheng felt himself like a colossal giant, standing in the Grand Void.

Before him appeared something the size of a table, wrapped in a layer of 'bubble', which was the heaven and earth where Li Zhangsheng's body resided.

Beside that 'table', there was a long light beam shuttling through the Grand Void, extending from top to bottom, passing through a black boundary.

Obviously that light beam is the Immortal Path, and the black boundary it passes through downward must be the way to the Lower Realm.

Li Zhangsheng's field of view followed the light beam upward, seeing that the light beam also passed through a boundary of rosy light and variegated colors, which was vast and boundless, its end unseen.

Even Li Zhangsheng's expanded divine sense, before that upper boundary of rosy light and variegated colors, was minuscule like an ant looking up.

"I suppose going up there leads to the Immortal Realm."

Li Zhangsheng roughly gained an understanding, then promptly withdrew his divine sense.

"I have to say, this skill is miraculous and also very useful." Li Zhangsheng murmured with a smile.

He now also knows where the Immortal Path is; the black-haired elder's words were correct—it is indeed right beside this heaven and earth.

"It feels like the Immortal Path transported me too far." Li Zhangsheng clicked his tongue.

Immediately afterward, Li Zhangsheng placed his divine sense into another jade slip.

The jade slip records an immortal art named Grand Void Suppressing Palm, a finger-attack type immortal art.

Li Zhangsheng then carefully read the Grand Void Suppressing Palm once more.

After finishing reading, Li Zhangsheng felt that he had gained a new skill.

He extended his palm, and immediately Li Zhangsheng felt his palm continuously enlarging.

Li Zhangsheng's divine sense followed the palm, and soon he saw his palm penetrate this world and arrive in the Grand Void.

He compared his enlarged palm with the world he was in, like a normal palm placed on a "table".

However, if Li Zhangsheng wished, this palm could completely smash that "table"!

Li Zhangsheng playfully raised his middle finger in the vast Grand Void, provocatively hooking it.

"Hehe, fun!"

Li Zhangsheng smiled, then immediately he placed his palm beside the Immortal Path light beam for comparison.

That Immortal Path light beam, in front of his palm, was about the size of a wooden stick.

"I wonder what would happen if I pinched this Immortal Path light beam with my palm—would it directly snap the Immortal Path?" Li Zhangsheng thought with a mischievous grin.

Of course, he did not actually do it.

At this moment, who knows how many beings are inside the Immortal Path; Yang Xuanji and the others are training there—if he really pinched it, they would surely incur heavenly punishment.

Li Zhangsheng also thought that his palm could expand and contract at will according to his thoughts, but the maximum size was just what it had been moments before.

"That's enough; from now on, to kill someone, I just need to crush them with a single finger—how convenient."

Li Zhangsheng nodded in satisfaction, retracted his palm, and said, "I have to say, the arts of this Immortal Realm are quite interesting."

Saying that, Li Zhangsheng directed his divine sense toward the last jade slip.

This jade slip records an immortal art for traversing the Grand Void, used for travel, named Void Treading Wave Technique!

Li Zhangsheng then carefully read the Void Treading Wave Technique once more.

After finishing, Li Zhangsheng naturally gained a travel skill.

He lightly stepped forward!

Swish!

Immediately, he felt space flowing past like a series of mirrors, and when those mirrors struck his body, they shattered one after another.

Whoosh!

After one step, Li Zhangsheng directly left the place he had been and stood in the Grand Void!

Li Zhangsheng's divine sense gazed at the upper horizon of endless rosy light; according to his divine sense, there was still a long distance to that rosy-light boundary,

"At my current speed, I'm afraid it would take four or five steps to reach that rosy-light boundary, and I don't know if I could crash straight through it into the Immortal Realm!"

"But doing that might damage something; the impact would probably not be good."

"It's better to enter the Immortal Path via the proper route."

Thinking that, Li Zhangsheng walked toward the light beam.

Whoosh!

After one step, Li Zhangsheng arrived before the Immortal Path light beam.

Don't look at how, after Li Zhangsheng's divine sense enlarged, the Immortal Path light beam appeared as big as a stick.

But at this moment, standing before this light beam, Li Zhangsheng's whole person was still tiny like a speck of dust.

Li Zhangsheng's divine sense swept into the Immortal Path light beam; this light beam contains three layers of worlds from bottom to top.

However, at this moment Li Zhangsheng saw that only the lowest layer world had beings; the upper two layers had no one venturing in yet, presumably because the time had not come.

Li Zhangsheng stepped forward, taking a step into the first layer of the Immortal Path world.

At the moment he stepped in, Li Zhangsheng felt a membrane-like layer block him slightly.

However, Li Zhangsheng merely exerted a little force and broke through that "membrane".

Then he strode in!!

After entering the first world, Li Zhangsheng saw the long-missed mountains and waters.

Among those mountains and waters stood some ancient palaces, city towers, and some ruins.

Li Zhangsheng could also sense that this world contained many native beings!

These beings varied in kind, but their strength seemed greater than that of the Emperor Realm beings Li Zhangsheng had seen in the myriad worlds.

Several of them were even comparable to the Undying Heavenly Emperor that Li Zhangsheng had casually crushed five hundred years ago.

They were all stationed in different corners, seemingly guarding something.

"I suppose the Immortal Realm folks threw them in to add some trial difficulty for those entering the Immortal Path from the lower realms!"

Li Zhangsheng thought so, and then began to stroll leisurely through this world.

This world is actually quite large; according to Li Zhangsheng's current divine sense estimate, it should be as vast as the entirety of the myriad worlds, enough for those who enter to train.

Thus, after walking around and pausing for a day or two in this world, Li Zhangsheng noticed a person from the Longevity Gate, Xiao Jue!

However, Xiao Jue's situation at this moment seemed not good!!

"Since it's training, let's properly temper you."

Li Zhangsheng said with a smile, not making the first move, but observing from the shadows.

Now Li Zhangsheng's divine sense can envelop this entire world, allowing him to see clearly the situation of every Longevity Gate member who entered the Immortal Path.

Li Zhangsheng decided, and so he continued observing from the shadows.

As long as it wasn't a genuine life-or-death crisis, even if they shattered their positioning talismans, Li Zhangsheng would not intervene immediately.

Li Zhangsheng's aim was to plunge them into dire straits within dire straits, so as to stimulate their potential, and incidentally temper their willpower!!

……

Xiao Jue now stood on a vast island.

This island is as large as the Nine Provinces continent, and it is surrounded by endless ocean!

Xiao Jue was the only one when they first teleported here.

At first, they felt a bit insecure and uneasy.

It is said that this Immortal Path contains as many perils as opportunities.

They didn't know whether they would first obtain an opportunity or first encounter danger?

They first checked the contents of their binding ring, and after finding that nothing was missing, they instantly felt much more at ease.

'Anyway, I have the Sect Master's positioning talisman; if danger arises, I can summon the Sect Master, so what's there to fear.'

Xiao Jue thought this, silently encouraged themselves, and then began to explore the area they were in!!

"This seems to be a massive island."

After a while, Xiao Jue roughly understood what kind of environment this region belonged to.

Immediately after, Xiao Jue started searching for opportunities suitable for them.

The chance to become an immortal is still too far away; I'll try to become an Emperor Realm first.

Xiao Jue flew at high speed across this massive island.

During that time, they also encountered many cultivators; it seems quite a few cultivators have teleported to this island.

The cultivators Xiao Jue met were all above Quasi-Emperor rank, and several were even Emperor Realm strongmen.

However, without any conflict of interest, no one would bother to show off by attacking a cultivator weaker than themselves.

Thus, Xiao Jue's first day on the island passed relatively peacefully.

"Keep looking for opportunities, keep looking for opportunities."

Xiao Jue flew tirelessly from one region to another.

This Immortal Path opens only once every million years; the chance is rare, so one must seize it and boost one's strength.

However…

After searching all day, Xiao Jue felt a bit puzzled.

"Didn't they say this Immortal Path has many opportunities? Why haven't I seen any?"

Still puzzled, Xiao Jue kept searching.

Finally, after half a day, they discovered an ancient palace complex.

The ancient palace complex was hidden within a primeval forest; it was unclear how many ages it had stood, and every building was entwined with twisted vines.

It was damp and dim, with thick moss covering the walls.

Xiao Jue simply wandered through the palace complex out of curiosity!

After wandering for a while, Xiao Jue discovered an ancient, simple tree bearing a bright red fruit.

The fruit was as large as a head, radiating an alluring luster and rippling Dao resonance.

"Is this… an Emperor Realm Dao Fruit?"

Xiao Jue stared at the fruit, their heart pounding.

In their spare time, they had read many ancient texts and had once come across a record about the Emperor Realm Dao Fruit.

It is rumored that there is a tree called the Dao Tree, which blooms once every thirty thousand years, bears fruit another thirty thousand years later, and the fruit matures after another thirty thousand years.

The mature fruit is the Emperor Realm Dao Fruit!

The whole Dao Tree bears only one Emperor Realm Dao Fruit at a time; if that fruit is not harvested, a second will never appear.

The Emperor Realm Dao Fruit, as the name suggests, is a heaven-and-earth spirit artifact used for a Quasi-Emperor at the pinnacle to ascend to Emperor Realm.

Obviously, the bright red fruit hanging on that ancient tree matched the description—shape, color, and aura—that Xiao Jue had read in the ancient texts.

"If I can't find an opportunity, that's that; but if I do, why make it so grand? This Immortal Path really is impressive." Xiao Jue's heart raced, they swooped down and plucked the Emperor Realm Dao Fruit.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh…

However, just as they had just plucked the fruit, several figures descended here, two of whom were Emperor Realm strongmen.

Xiao Jue's expression changed.

"It's not that… When I wasn't here, you weren't here; I just got the opportunity, and you show up, right?"

Xiao Jue felt utterly unlucky in their heart…