Chapter 260: Immortal Alliance Secrets, The Poison of the Primordial Spirit

Lu Yuan had already learned of the Immortal Alliance sending people through his Huanglong cloning, so he was not surprised.

On the contrary, Chen Zhantang and the other disciples were somewhat nervous upon hearing this, worried that being exposed to the Immortal Alliance's gaze would bring trouble.

Regarding this, Lu Yuan naturally did not take it to heart, reassuring them that there was no need to worry.

After all, not to mention that Longshan Immortal City had already been managed by his cloning into an impenetrable fortress.

After he stepped into the Transformation into Divinity realm, he was already an existence close to the top in this Yuanling Heaven cultivation world, and many problems no longer needed to be worried about.

Reassured, Chen Zhantang and the others set their minds at ease. Lu Yuan continued to learn about some recent developments in the lower realm, then immediately returned to his Zizhu Peak cave dwelling.

And sure enough.

On the morning of the third day, he received a message from his Liuyun cloning, and then arrived above the city gate of the Immortal City.

When he arrived at this place, the Huanglong cloning, the Liuyun cloning, and even the Guest Monarch Wei Bufan, as well as many Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators like Su Lingyue and Qin Ruoning were already waiting. When Lu Yuan arrived in a leisurely manner, these cultivators were whispering:

"The Immortal Alliance actually specifically sent an Elder of the Divine Machine Tower who is also a Patrol Domain Envoy; our Longshan Immortal City can be considered to have shown its face this time."

"A Patrol Domain Envoy? Those are all extraordinary figures; they are either descendants of Transformation into Divinity Heavenly Monarchs or direct disciples, with incredibly deep backgrounds."

"That's right, I heard that this Patrol Domain Envoy who is about to arrive is not only a direct disciple of a Heavenly Monarch, but also has a close relationship with our Immortal City Lord."

"Oh? With such a connection, couldn't Longshan Immortal City ask the Immortal Alliance for more resource allocations?"

"Who knows."

Amidst the discussions, Lu Yuan came to the side to wait with them. Qin Ruoning and Su Lingyue approached silently and asked with concern:

"Fellow Daoist Lu, the people from the Immortal Alliance are coming to observe the Spirit Fire Hall; will they have any problems?"

The two women were among the few in the Immortal City who knew that Chen Zhantang and the other disciples came from the lower realm. Lu Yuan smiled faintly:

"No need to worry, it is merely exchanging matters regarding the Spirit Fire Cannon; as long as they remain calm, they will naturally be able to handle it."

As soon as the words fell.

They saw a brilliant immortal light in the distant sky, crossing over toward this place at a steady pace. Lu Yuan did not even need to move his mind, and a scene was immediately fed back into his Primordial Spirit.

That was strikingly an Immortal Boat over twenty zhang long, made entirely of jade, emitting five-element immortal light, and incomparably exquisite and luxurious; it looked extremely extraordinary.

And on the Immortal Boat, several figures stood by the railing. At the lead was a middle-aged Daoist wearing a white Daoist robe and standing like an abyss or a mountain, as well as an old man with snow-white whiskers and the bearing of an immortal; they were clearly the Immortal Alliance's so-called Divine Machine Tower Elder and Patrol Domain Envoy.

It took only a moment from the appearance of the immortal rainbow in the distance to approaching the Immortal City. The cultivators of the Immortal City had already discovered it. Before the immortal light arrived, the Huanglong cloning and Wei Bufan took the initiative to fly forward and said loudly:

"Longshan Immortal City Lord Huanglong (Wei Bufan), respectfully welcome the arrival of the two fellow Daoists!"

That noble and extraordinary Immortal Boat stopped slowly, and then the leading middle-aged Daoist and the old man flew out lightly, emitting loud laughter:

"The two fellow Daoists are too polite. We have come on this trip to observe and learn; we do not deserve the word 'welcome'."

"Fellow Daoist Huangfu's style remains the same; it has been twenty years since we parted, have you been well?"

The former was spoken by the immortal-looking Shenji Hall Elder, and the latter was spoken by that Patrol Domain Envoy, who was also one of True Monarch Huanglong's close friends, True Monarch Yuanmu, Kong Linsen.

The Huanglong cloning possessed all the memories of the original body, so he naturally knew how to respond, and immediately laughed loudly as well:

"I am but a decrepit old man, what style do I have? It is you, Fellow Daoist Kong, who have now stepped into the Nascent Soul Late Stage realm and hold the position of Patrol Domain Envoy, that can truly be called radiant."

Kong Linsen laughed: "Why do close friends like us say such things? Let us reminisce later; today's protagonist is Elder Fan of the Divine Machine Tower. I am just following along to join in the fun."

Divine Machine Tower Elder Fan Chengzong asked at the right time:

"Fellow Daoist Huanglong, I wonder if the cultivators who manage your Immortal City's Spirit Fire Hall are present? This old man has already studied the Spirit Fire Cannon they invented; it indeed contains many ingenious ideas. It is hard to imagine that the combination of gunpowder and Spirit Stone could erupt with such astonishing changes. I am now impatient to exchange ideas with them!"

The Huanglong cloning smiled: "They are currently in the Spirit Fire Hall; I will take Elder Fan over right now."

The Divine Machine Tower possessed a high status in the Immortal Alliance, and Fan Chengzong himself was a Nascent Soul Mid Stage Great Cultivator, so the Huanglong cloning led the way personally, taking a group of cultivators straight to Thunder Fire Peak.

When they arrived at Thunder Fire Peak, Chen Zhantang and the disciples, who had received notice in advance, were already waiting respectfully at the peak, flying out to welcome them before the arrival of the many cultivators:

"We respectfully welcome the seniors of the Immortal Alliance!"

Immortal Alliance Elder Fan Chengzong scanned with his divine sense and was greatly surprised:

"Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivation, not yet reached Golden Core? City Lord Huanglong, is this the Hall Master of the Spirit Fire Hall, the one who invented the Spirit Fire Cannon?"

The Huanglong cloning smiled:

"Exactly."

Completely not expecting the inventor of the Spirit Fire Cannon to be so young, Fan Chengzong's eyes flashed, full of surprise and the joy of finding talent:

"Good, good, good! I really didn't expect such a groundbreaking War Artifact to be created by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. You are called Chen Zhantang? How did you discover the specific properties of mortal gunpowder and Spirit Stone powder, and perform the ratio to exert such astonishing power?"

Chen Zhantang replied respectfully:

"Replying to Elder Fan, I only coordinate and manage the Spirit Fire Hall; the actual research and invention is a collection of the hard work of many cultivators in this hall. At that time, we..."

The original intention of creating the Spirit Fire Cannon was to apply it to the Corpse Demon Catastrophe, and with Lu Yuan's instruction, the Immortal City side had no intention of hiding anything. Chen Zhantang immediately recounted their research process roughly.

As an Elder of the Divine Machine Tower and a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, Fan Chengzong's attainments in the way of artifacts were naturally extraordinary. However, the thinking logic of cultivators was completely different from that of the cultivators in the lower realm who had been nurtured by systematic scientific training. He became more and more astonished as he listened, and after Chen Zhantang finished speaking, he couldn't help but sigh:

"Unexpectedly, such a reaction could occur between mortal objects and Spirit Materials. What you said has truly benefited this old man greatly..."

Chen Zhantang hurriedly lowered his head:

"I dare not, I dare not; the senior praises me too much."

Fan Chengzong looked him up and down and suddenly said:

"I wonder if you have a master, and if you are willing to join my Divine Machine Tower to maximize your talent?"

Patrol Domain Envoy Kong Linsen, who had been silent on the side, suddenly laughed: "Elder Fan, you are poaching in front of Fellow Daoist Huanglong; isn't this a bit too impatient?"

Fan Chengzong knew that what he had just said was a bit abrupt, and immediately bowed to the Huanglong cloning:

"Fellow Daoist Huanglong, do not blame me. Fan does not intend to poach Longshan Immortal City's talent, but I am just eager for talent at this moment, thinking that the Divine Machine Tower could allow this little friend to maximize his intelligence, thereby benefiting all cultivators in the Immortal Cities. Please forgive me, please forgive me."

The Huanglong cloning did not take it to heart and smiled:

"I know Elder Fan is eager for talent, but your invitation depends on Chen Zhantang's own wishes."

Chen Zhantang hurriedly said:

"Thank you for your kindness, senior, but this junior already has a master, who is Elder Lu of this city. In addition, this junior owes it to City Lord Huanglong's discerning eyes for establishing this Spirit Fire Hall and providing great support that we were able to barely research something. I have not yet repaid even a fraction of such kindness, so no matter what, I cannot switch to another place.

However, City Lord Huanglong has ordered me to copy all research processes, ratios, results, etc., and present them to the Immortal Alliance, which is considered throwing a brick to attract jade, hoping that this kind of War Artifact can be popularized and promoted in all Immortal Cities to contribute to fighting the catastrophe."

"Good!"

At this moment, both Fan Chengzong and Kong Linsen applauded, and the former even bowed once more to the Huanglong Cloning, saying:

"Many thanks for the generosity of Fellow Daoist Huanglong. The invention from Spirit Fire Hall is extremely important. If it can be popularized, it could indeed change the current situation, alleviate the pressure on thousands of cultivators on the front lines, and spare them from dying under the mouths of Corpse Demons. This can truly be called a deed of immeasurable merit!"

The Huanglong Cloning returned the salute and said:

"Elder Fan is too kind; this is merely what we ought to do."

Immediately after.

Under the witness of everyone, Fan Chengzong led a group of disciples from Divine Machine Tower to stay at Thunder Fire Peak and began their exchange.

Other cultivators were not interested in this and did not disturb them; at the signal of the Huanglong Cloning, they departed one by one. As for Kong Linsen, he was invited to Linglong Peak to reminisce.

Once they arrived at the cave dwelling on the peak and Kong Linsen had taken a seat, the Huanglong Cloning could not help but ask:

"Fellow Daoist Kong, did you come to see me this time simply for a visit, or is there another important matter at hand?"

Kong Linsen laughed:

"Of course, it is specifically to visit you. The Dao is difficult; our generation of cultivators has experienced wind and rain, the vicissitudes of time. At a realm like yours and mine, offspring, Dao companions, families, and close friends have mostly drifted apart halfway. It is truly not easy to have a friend one can talk to, so naturally, one must visit more often."

The Huanglong Cloning also sighed with emotion:

"That is very true. But thinking back, when you and I stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm, it was only a difference of ten years. Now you are already a Yuan Ying Late Stage cultivator, while I have only just stepped into the Nascent Soul Mid Stage. It is truly something to be envious of!"

Kong Linsen said:

"Your talent is not much worse than mine; it is merely that your circumstances were slightly inferior. To be honest, if it were not for my master, Zhulong Heavenly Monarch, teaching me by word and deed, plus the pouring in of resources, I would absolutely not have been able to step into the Yuan Ying Late Stage.

My master once said that the Yuan Ying Late Stage is likely my limit. In this life, without a heaven-sent opportunity, I am afraid I will have no hope of stepping into the Transformation into Divinity realm. Sigh..."

"We cultivators are inherently struggling against Heaven for our lives; until the time comes, nothing is certain. Compared to us, your chances are already much greater."

The Huanglong Cloning offered a word of comfort, then feigned a casual tone:

"By the way, what has your esteemed master been busy with lately? Is he still in the Central Region?"

Kong Linsen shook his head and said: "His old self has been traveling outside these years, searching for secret realms everywhere. It seems he is looking for some kind of rare spiritual medicine."

The Huanglong Cloning could not help but ask: "What kind of rare spiritual medicine requires a Transformation into Divinity Heavenly Monarch to search for it personally?"

Kong Linsen hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said:

"This news is an absolute secret; Fellow Daoist, please do not spread it outside... It is said to be a type of spiritual medicine capable of eradicating the Corpse Poison of the Heavenly Corpse Emperor."

The Huanglong Cloning's gaze tightened:

"Is it being sought for a Return to Void Great Ability of the Immortal Alliance? But it has already been several hundred years, how is this...?"

According to all current intelligence, Xiyanzhou once faced an unprecedentedly fierce invasion of a Corpse Tide, which even included the figure of the Heavenly Corpse Emperor. The only two Return to Void Great Abilities of the Immortal Alliance had joined forces to resist it. Although they successfully repelled the Heavenly Corpse Emperor, both Return to Void Great Abilities seemed to have suffered varying degrees of injury and had been in a state of closed-door cultivation for a long time afterward, only occasionally making an appearance.

However, the Return to Void level is known as Daoist Lords or Void Immortals. Such beings live for over ten thousand years, and their cultivation methods reach the heavens and encompass the earth. The cultivators of Xiyanzhou did not worry too much about this, all assuming the two Daoist Lords were no longer in any serious trouble.

Yet, combining the words of the Corpse King Shi Mingkong at the time with what Kong Linsen was saying now, it undoubtedly meant that the situation seemed to be different.

Kong Linsen nodded and said in a low voice:

"To tell you the truth, one of the two Daoist Lords suffered lighter injuries and has already recovered as before after recuperating. But the other, Phantom Sea Daoist, suffered quite severe injuries, especially since he was unfortunately poisoned by the Heavenly Corpse Emperor. Not only were his physical body and Dharma Power polluted, but even his Primordial Spirit did not escape!"

The Huanglong Cloning's brows immediately knitted into a knot:

"The Heavenly Corpse Emperor is only at the Return to Void level, an existence equal to a Daoist Lord. Is the poison on them so terrifying that it can leave a genuine Daoist Lord and Void Immortal helpless?"

Kong Linsen sighed:

"Fellow Daoist, you do not know. Once at the level of the Heavenly Corpse Emperor, the corpse poison pollution on them is no longer ordinary; it is even somewhat similar to the source poison that polluted the Return to Void Great Ability of the Yuhua Sect in that Primordial Cave Heaven Secret Realm. Therefore, even other Great Abilities will be afflicted if they are not careful.

Just like Phantom Sea Daoist; in fact, he was initially only polluted in his physical body and Dharma Power. But he considered his cultivation to be supreme, and he was truly unwilling to abandon his physical body, so he intended to use his own Dharma Power to wear down the poison of the Heavenly Corpse Emperor.

The result was that he clearly underestimated the terror of this toxin. After wasting decades, not only did he fail to eradicate the corpse poison from his body and Dharma Power, but he also caused his own Primordial Spirit to be contaminated, and he began to show tendencies toward bloodthirst and madness.

Reaching this step is already extremely dangerous. If it continues to spread, it will inevitably lead to the gradual corruption and collapse of Phantom Sea Daoist's Primordial Spirit, and then he will completely transform into a crazed and tyrannical Heavenly Corpse Emperor, bringing an even more terrifying disaster to Xiyanzhou."

Fortunately, Heaven does not cut off all paths. The other Daoist Lord has been searching for a cure for him, and from the hands of Great Ability cultivators in other continents, he obtained an ancient pill recipe from tens of thousands of years ago. This pill recipe belongs to the category of Immortal Pill. It is said that it can cleanse the Primordial Spirit, Dharma Power, and physical body, eradicating all poisons in the world, and it may be able to resolve the poison planted in Phantom Sea Daoist from the root.

However, the only trouble is that many of the materials for this ancient Immortal Pill recipe are extremely rare in Xiyanzhou, and some individual main ingredients only exist in rumors and seem to have gone extinct. For this reason, the other Daoist Lord of the Immortal Alliance has no other choice but to instruct several Transformation into Divinity Heavenly Monarchs to secretly search for Cave Heaven Secret Realms everywhere, just to be able to find these rare spiritual herbs and medicines."