Chapter 1082

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Protagonist:

Xu Zhangqing

Each of the six divine beings governed one of the Five Elements or the Thunder Laws; when the six laws intertwined and operated, the Chaos Divine Being gained the ability to encompass all things.

He took the Chaos Divine Being as a furnace, treating the remnant fragment of the Space-Time Law as a seed, nurturing, irrigating, and understanding it bit by bit.

This was an extremely slow process.

Over ten years, Xu Zhangqing could only find time to contemplate during breaks from handling affairs, and each time his progress advanced no more than an inch.

But through accumulation over time, the operation of laws between the six divine beings gradually underwent subtle changes.

Time was no longer a straight river.

Space was no longer a smooth spread of silk.

In his perception, space-time began to exhibit properties that could bend, fold, and even be intercepted.

Though he was still far from truly mastering the Space-Time Law, the seed had already been planted.

During these ten years, the layout of the Tianyuan Realm also changed quietly.

The greatest upheaval occurred in the Central Region.

After the Demon God Rebellion ended, the remaining sect powers in the Central Region, having lost the protection of Long Yuan and Mu Yunni, were gradually devoured by the large number of Demon Emperors and remnant Demon Race left behind in the Central Region.

The cultivators retreated step by step, finally forced to withdraw, handing over the Central Region to the Demon Race.

Fortunately, by order of Demon God Kong Fang, these Demon Race currently lacked the strength to expand outward.

Long Yuan then stationed people at the boundary of the Central Region to set up a defensive line, temporarily stabilizing the situation.

As for the changes in the Eastern Region, they were exactly the opposite.

Under Xu Zhangqing's careful management, Fengrao Commandery became the center of the Eastern Region, and the recovery speed of its spirit veins far surpassed the other three regions.

After integrating the remnant forces of the Old Dongting Immortal Sect, the Qingmu Sect was formally upgraded to Qingmu Immortal Sect, ranked as the Third Immortal Sect of the Tianyuan Realm.

This ranking was nominal only.

But in the Eastern Region and even the entire Tianyuan Realm, the name of Qingmu Immortal Sect was enough to make all powers take notice.

As Sect Master, Xu Zhangqing never wore Sect Master robes nor sat on the main hall's high seat, but everyone knew that Qingmu Immortal Sect's rise from an ordinary sect to its current position in just ten years depended entirely on his individual strength.

The ten-year period had only a few months left.

On that very day, the entrance to Yunhua Realm suddenly moved.

Back when Dongting Immortal Sect split, Chao Jin brought many talented disciples including Zhao Lie, along with the mainstays of Dongting Immortal Sect, and they all entered Yunhua Realm.

They even sealed the entrance, cutting off all contact with the outside world from then on.

For so many years, no one knew what they were doing inside.

Of course, eventually no one cared anymore.

The Tianyuan Realm had experienced too many major events; a Chao Jin missing for over a hundred years had long been forgotten by most people in the corners of memory.

But at this moment, the originally sealed restriction suddenly rippled.

Like a stone thrown into water, ripples spread outward from the center, growing larger and denser.

Immediately, a crack tore open at the exact center of the ripples.

Dazzling white light shone from the crack, and spiritual energy sealed for many years surged out from within.

Next, a hand reached out from the crack, then an arm, and finally a whole person.

The moment Chao Jin walked out of Yunhua Realm, he took a deep breath of the outside air, a look of smug satisfaction on his face.

After so long, his Daoist Robe was as new as ever, the Jade Pendant at his waist radiated spiritual light, and his cultivation had advanced far beyond when he entered seclusion.

Behind him, Zhao Lie and the others filed out one by one.

Everyone's face bore the same expression.

Smugness, arrogance, and wild joy released after years of suppression.

Zhao Lie, following closely behind Chao Jin, exhaled, his gaze sweeping over the old site of Dongting, unable to help but sigh: "Cooped up in Yunhua Realm for so many years, we're finally out."

"Is... is this still Dongting Immortal Sect?"

"Yes, but no!"

"Everything has changed; the Immortal Sect is gone."

"Sect Master Chao is right; the world outside has indeed changed."

Chao Jin clasped his hands behind his back, his tone carrying the ease of one who sees through everything: "Back then, I led you into Yunhua Realm not to hide for a lifetime."

Lu Chen Yuan and the powerhouses of the Tianyuan Realm would surely suffer mutual defeat.

Moreover, a contest at that level would surely leave only one in ten survivors.

Exactly the timing we've been waiting for.

Once they've fought enough, once enough have died, we'll come out to clean up the remnants!"

A cultivator behind Zhao Lie couldn't help but smile: "Sect Master Chao has far-sighted vision; the Tianyuan Realm is now a group of dragons without a leader—exactly the time for us to take over."

"What Long Yuan, what Mu Yunni—even if they're still alive, they're spent arrows!"

"Not necessarily."

Zhao Lie frowned; he was a cautious man, and even at his most triumphant he wouldn't overstate things: "Long Yuan and Mu Yunni are, after all, Void Refining Daoist Lords—not to be underestimated."

"So what if they're Void Refining?"

Chao Jin waved his hand, unconcerned: "Two Void Refining cultivators think they can prop up the entire Tianyuan Realm?"

Once the Central Region collapses, the Northern and Western Regions will be hard-pressed to protect themselves, and the Southern Region will be unable to stand alone.

As for the Eastern Domain……」

He let out a snort: "The Eastern Domain has always been our territory; now it's become like this, I'm afraid not even a decent Nascent Soul can be found."

Zhao Lie fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "That's the reasoning."

Chao Jin said no more, waving a large hand: "Let's go, first go find someone to ask about the situation."

See what the Tianyuan Realm has become over these past few hundred years."

A group of them, with high spirits, left the Yunhua Realm and flew toward the nearest gathering place.

Soon, they learned the news from a loose cultivator's mouth.

Dongting Immortal Sect was indeed gone.

Replacing it was a sect called the Qingmu Immortal Sect.

This sect rose quickly and now ranks as the Third Immortal Sect of the Tianyuan Realm.

And the sect master of the Qingmu Immortal Sect was a man named Xu Zhangqing.

When Chao Jin heard this name, he was first stunned, then burst into loud laughter.

He laughed until he bent double, his laughter full of undisguised mockery and glee.

"Xu Zhangqing?"

"That spirit farmer?"

Chao Jin laughed enough, turned to Zhao Lie and said: "Presumably, you still remember Xu Zhangqing?"

"It seems, Lu Chen Yuan has killed all the strong ones of the Tianyuan Realm; now even this sort of goods can become an immortal sect sect master."

Zhao Lie did not laugh along, but instead furrowed his brow.

He of course remembered Xu Zhangqing.

To be precise, he remembered this person's talent in cultivating spiritual plants.

Back then, when it was still the Dongting Immortal Sect, the spiritual plants the other party grew were of such high quality that even he was secretly alarmed, and even actively tried to recruit him.

Though he did not know how Xu Zhangqing became the sect master of the Qingmu Immortal Sect, Zhao Lie always felt things were not so simple.

"Sect Master Cao."

After much thought, Zhao Lie lowered his voice: "Xu Zhangqing's cultivation may be ordinary, but his talent in the way of spiritual plants cannot be underestimated."

The Qingmu Immortal Sect being able to rise in a short time is probably inseparable from his methods.

After taking down the Qingmu Immortal Sect, we must leave a living mouth; this person is useful to us!"