Chapter 186

Heart Demon Old Man hearing Chen Zheng say he would take him to Linglong Blissful Land, couldn't help stroking his beard and praising: 'That's excellent.'

He naturally knows the prestige of Linglong Immortal Venerable.

A thousand years ago, he had been to the Xuanhuang Grand World.

At that time hearing that in the Demonic Path there were six renowned great emperors, he became interested and invited the six emperors to discuss the Dao at the summit of Cang Mountain, the holy land of the Demonic Path.

Unfortunately, among the six great emperors, except for the Innate Great Emperor who had some unique insights into the Demonic Path's arts, the others all greatly disappointed him.

It can be said he came in high spirits and left in disappointment.

After the Dao discussion ended, he again heard that in the Xuanhuang Grand World there was a Linglong Immortal Venerable who, in just a few thousand years, cultivated to the tenth level of longevity, which can be called astonishing talent and extraordinary beauty.

Moreover, he created his own divine ability, naming it 'Daluo'.

Thus he again wanted to seek out Linglong Immortal Venerable to discuss the Dao.

But at that time, due to some matters, he had to go to the Central Grand World, which ranks first among the three thousand great worlds, and so it was delayed.

He has always regretted this.

Now that Chen Zheng is acquainted with Linglong Immortal Venerable, to recommend him, he naturally gladly agreed to go.

Moreover, if Linglong Immortal Venerable agrees to join, the chance to seize the Primordial Chaos Limitless Diagram increases by another two points.

Know this: in the Limitless Star Palace, strong ones are as numerous as clouds; several vice palace masters are Void Immortals at the ninth level of longevity, the palace master is a True Immortal; if all the Grand Supreme Thus we have Title: Elder join forces to activate the Primordial Chaos Limitless Diagram, even an ordinary True Immortal would likely die upon contact.

Even if the Heart Demon Old Man and the Crimson Abyss Demon Venerable join forces, before the might of the Primordial Chaos Limitless Diagram they can at most only preserve themselves.

Therefore, the more experts there are to seize this diagram, the better.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Abyss Demon Venerable thinks differently from the Heart Demon Old Man.

He is surprised that Chen Zheng is about to move.

He doesn't care much about the Primordial Chaos Limitless Diagram; what he cares about is Chen Zheng.

Although he wishes to keep Chen Zheng staying longer in the Five Elements Realm, waiting for the day he himself escapes from this place, he would then refine the entire Five Elements Star into a supreme Dao artifact to gift to him, yet in the end it is not good to interfere with Chen Zheng's decision.

He smiled and said: "Seizing the Primordial Chaos Limitless Diagram, if we can invite Linglong Immortal Venerable to assist, that would naturally be excellent. Moreover, in about one or two months, I will be able to completely free myself from the bondage of the Five Elements spiritual roots and leave this place. By then I may have some private matters, needing to leave for a period, with no time to worry about my senior brother's safety; if my senior brother moves early to Linglong Blissful Land, having Linglong Immortal Venerable's protection, I would also feel at ease."

Seeing that the two elders had no objections, Chen Zheng nodded and said: 'Alright, let's go find Linglong Immortal Venerable now.'

His divine sense spread out, letting the people on the mountain peak not panic.

Immediately, with a single hand he lifted the mountain peak, which reaches a height of ninety-nine myriad zhang, from the earth and placed it into the space inside the Primordial Ancient Furnace.

Furthermore, using the Daluo talisman to open the gate of time and space, he stepped in with one stride, bringing the Heart Demon Old Man to Linglong Blissful Land, yet he completely failed to notice that although the surface of the myriad tribulation love threads on his finger showed no abnormality, inside it had become completely different from before.

The Crimson Abyss Demon Venerable did not leave with Chen Zheng.

Although he can project an image to walk outside, if he strays too far from the Five Elements Realm, it also consumes considerable vital energy.

The matter of seizing the Primordial Chaos Limitless Diagram can be decided among Chen Zheng and his companions themselves.

Anyway, he listens to Chen Zheng.

Chen Zheng says whom to seize, and he seizes that person.

…………

Time and space shifted, Chen Zheng returned once more to Sumeru Golden Summit.

What surprised him was that he did not see Linglong Immortal Venerable here.

Not even a shadow.

One also does not know where Linglong Immortal Venerable went during the short time Chen Zheng went to the Five Elements Realm.

Chen Zheng released his divine sense, searching the entire Linglong Blissful Land, but to no avail.

He inquired of Qiu Xiyu, who was studying the striking of the immortal whip in the Heavenly Punishment Hall, but she also did not know where Linglong Immortal Venerable had gone.

"Is the Sect Master Supreme Venerable present?"

"Linglong?"

"Husband..."

"I am here; what do you seek me for?"

Chen Zheng slightly raised his eyebrows, on Sumeru Golden Summit tentatively calling out Linglong Immortal Venerable's name; on the third call she finally responded.

Yet she did not appear to meet.

She said she is not currently in the Xuanhuang Grand World, but rather in secluded cultivation in a forbidden land, having reached a critical juncture, with no time to return to Linglong Blissful Land.

Moreover, her tone of speech was slightly different from usual, strange, making Chen Zheng feel surprised.

Chen Zheng temporarily did not think much, and together with the Heart Demon Old Man explained to her the matter of seizing the Primordial Chaos Limitless Diagram from the Limitless Star Palace, asking if she was interested.

She agreed without saying another word.

However, she also said she cannot free herself now; she must wait until one month later, when her four-thousandth birthday celebration and the decisive battle between Chen Zheng and Taihuntian conclude, before she can go with Chen Zheng and company to the Limitless Star Palace.

After saying this, Linglong Immortal Venerable unilaterally cut off contact, and thereafter there was no further word.

"Why has Linglong Immortal Venerable suddenly become so strange? She's almost four thousand years old; could she still be shy like a young maiden, unwilling to see me?" Chen Zheng stroked his chin in thought.

Senior Brother Chen, since Daoist Friend Linglong has agreed to this matter, I will not disturb you; I am preparing to assist Daoist Friend Crimson Abyss, so that he may escape predicament early. Moreover, during this period I will also contact a group of Daoist friends to join forces with us; when the time comes to seize the Primordial Chaos Limitless Diagram, it will truly be a sure thing. See you in one month.

The Heart Demon Old Man bade farewell, his form dissipating like smoke and mist, seeping into the boundless void.

On Sumeru Golden Summit only Chen Zheng remained.

…………

Among the three thousand great worlds there is an extremely famous stellar river, called the Tianxian River, which is a forbidden land where hardly anyone dares to come.

The Tianxian River is a forbidden land not because there are terrifying ferocious beasts here, but because it differs from ordinary stellar rivers; it is immensely vast and extremely long.

Just how long and how large is it?

Let me put it this way: someone like Taihuntian, a seventh-level longevity realm king, whose power is already strong enough to penetrate hundreds of millions of spacetime, destroy stars with diameters of hundreds to billions of li, and travel between universes in a short time—yet if he were at one end of the Tianxian River and wanted to fly to the other end, even if he flew for tens of thousands of years, or until his lifespan was exhausted, he probably could not make it across.

From this one can see how vast and long the Tianxian River is.

However, at this moment, within the boundless stellar river stands a person, who compared to the surrounding stars is extremely tiny, like a grain of millet in the vast sea.

She is a woman disguised as a man, peerlessly elegant and unmatched in temperament, precisely the Linglong Immortal Lord that Chen Zheng has not seen atop the Sumeru Golden Summit.

In front of the Linglong Immortal Lord lies a vast chessboard, and she is playing a game.

She is playing chess against herself.

The pieces are extraordinary; each one is a galaxy within the Celestial Mourning Star River, numbering more than countless trillions of galaxies.

Each galaxy spans tens of thousands to ten million light‑years in diameter, containing hundreds of trillions of stars of various sizes, and ordinary cultivators cannot move it a fraction.

Yet with a flick of her finger, the galaxies become individual pieces, divided into black and white sides, arranged into formations that clash, their patterns so intricate they mirror the myriad phenomena of the world, countless shapes; a single glance can trap the mind, impossible to extricate.

The star river serves as the board, the galaxies as the pieces!

The Linglong Immortal Lord's magical power is so profound it is incalculable.

She is indeed powerful, yet now she seems to face a dilemma; her willow‑like brows knit tightly as she gazes at the board, unable to make a move.

She mutters to herself: "Fate, oh fate, you are too wondrous, elusive, unpredictable. It seems my Linglong Great Luo Heaven still has great shortcomings, far inferior to the Hongmeng Heavenly Dao. No wonder many ancient Immortal Lords and Supreme Celestial Sovereigns can only struggle bitterly in the river of destiny, unable to raise a significant wave."

Her mind becomes chaotic.

She originally came here to cultivate the Linglong Great Luo Heaven, that endless galaxy‑filled chessboard, hoping to perfect it and advance her divine abilities.

But midway through her cultivation, an unexpected incident disrupted her.

To be precise, it was Chen Zheng who disrupted her.

Because earlier she suddenly sensed an anomaly in the Ten‑Thousand Calamity Love Thread attached to Chen Zheng's finger.

The calamity qi within the thread bizarrely vanished.

As the name suggests, the Ten‑Thousand Calamity Love Thread concerns love; the Linglong Immortal Lord has simulated countless times with the Linglong Great Luo Heaven, concluding that to advance further in her future she must cross the destined love tribulation.

Only by overcoming this tribulation can she break the final barrier, stepping from the Tenfold Longevity realm into the Immortal Secret Realm.

Moreover, according to her conjecture, her love tribulation should lie with Chen Zheng, which is why the Ten‑Thousand Calamity Love Thread is tied to his finger.

In her imagination, the tribulation would only arrive when Chen Zheng reaches her level of cultivation.

At that time, between her and Chen Zheng, those melodramatic plot twists found only in storybooks might occur—falling into love, initiating a tragic romance, entangling and clashing, and, because of Fang Qingxue and Jia Lan, a tangled web of love and hatred.

For all these possibilities, she has already prepared herself mentally to face this love tribulation, committing herself fully to the greatest challenge of her nearly four‑thousand‑year cultivation.

But she did not anticipate that just a few days later, the calamity qi hidden in the Ten‑Thousand Calamity Love Thread inexplicably vanished, leaving her punch feeling like hitting cotton.

In other words, her love tribulation has also been eliminated.

The Longevity Secret Realm to the Immortal Secret Realm is no longer an obstacle for her; the road ahead of cultivation is now a smooth path.

As long as her primordial qi is sufficient, she can take that step at any time and attain the Celestial Immortal realm.

That in itself is a good thing, worth rejoicing.

Yet the Linglong Immortal Lord feels inexplicably conflicted, unable to articulate the exact emotion.

That is also why she did not see Chen Zheng earlier.

She says she wants some quiet.

………

Buzz!

At the Sumeru Golden Summit, while Chen Zheng pondered why the Linglong Immortal Lord was so strange, a communication token on his person began to tremble faintly.

With a flick of his hand, the communication token appears in his palm, and a voice of admiration emanates: "Young Master Chen, it is I, Ji Mengyi. Young master, you truly anticipate events like a deity; recently our Grand Void Imperial Family indeed discovered an ancient teleportation array in the underground world. By riding this array one can travel to a treasure realm, a massive star in the outer cosmos called Panlong Star. According to the Imperial Elder, this star once housed the Celestial Dragon clan in antiquity; although the dragons have vanished, a massive treasure left by them remains. However, the demonic tribes of the underground world have also discovered the ancient teleportation array to Panlong Star, so our Grand Void Imperial Family intends to act first, dispatching many princes at dawn tomorrow to seek treasure on Panlong Star. Young master, would you like to go?"

Chen Zheng's eyes brightened slightly at the words.

He has waited so long; the great treasure of Panlong Star has finally been found by the Grand Void Imperial Family.

He recalls that many priceless relics left by the Primordial Celestial Dragons reside there.

With more than a month still remaining before the raid on Wuji Star Palace for divine weapons, he can use this interval to seek treasure on Panlong Star, boost his strength, ideally attaining the Longevity Secret Realm.

Then, whether confronting Tai Hun Tian, raiding the Pure Yang Sea within the Pure Yang Hall of Wuji Star Palace, or retaliating against Wu Mingkong and others via the Feather Ascension Gate, he will be far more adept.

Thinking this through, he replies to Prince Yi via the communication token: "I'll go; you stay where you are and wait for me."

He puts away the token and departs the Sumeru Golden Summit, his divine thought sweeping all directions, passing over mountains and rivers, palaces and peaks, and every female disciple and Elder scattered across the lands.

In the Linglong Blessed Land there is no Supreme Elder; Chen Zheng is the first, also the foremost under the Linglong Immortal Lord, and everyone must obey him, doing whatever they wish.

However, Chen Zheng is upright and will not act recklessly.

He merely seeks a spot within the Linglong Blessed Land suitable for placing a Peak of Pure Qi.

Soon he finds a plain, flies there, extracts the Peak of Pure Qi from the Great Wilderness Ancient Furnace, and sets it upon the ground.

This commotion is considerable, startling many, who rush over to investigate.

"Everyone disperse." Qiu Xiyu appears atop the Peak of Pure Qi from the Heavenly Punishment Palace, shooing away the curious crowd.

"Elder Qiu, you arrive at the perfect time; these people are all my subordinates. Send someone to register them so they become true disciples of our sect."

Chen Zheng sweeps his robe, and the golden‑stone platforms across the peaks—Jin Rilie, Fang Yu, Yang Xuan, Yang Zhen and hundreds of others—appear before Qiu Xiyu.

Also Jia Lan and Yan Shuiyi, who have already become master and servant.

"Yes, Supreme Elder, I will now summon the Elders in charge of promoting true disciples to register them, impart divine abilities, and distribute resources and identity tokens."

Qiu Xiyu glances at the people Chen Zheng brought, sees they are all from the Shen Tong Mi Jing, rejoices, quickly bows to receive the order, and leaves the Peak of Pure Qi to find people.

"What, this is the Linglong Blessed Land?"

"Hiss… Young Master Chen has become the Supreme Elder of the Linglong Blessed Land? We can also join the Linglong Blessed Land and become true disciples!"

"The Linglong Blessed Land is far stronger than the Feather Ascension Gate, not inferior to the Taiyi Sect; I can't believe our side can become disciples of this faction—am I dreaming?"

Fang Yu and the others finally regain their senses, look around, and silently click their tongues.

Especially the servants of the Fang family, who, at the thought of joining the legendary Linglong Blessed Land as true disciples, tremble with excitement and find it unbelievable.

Yan Shuiyi also finds it unbelievable, never expecting to one day join the mortal enemy of the Taiyi Sect.

But she has followed Chen Zheng for a considerable time, having witnessed many storms; joining the Linglong Blessed Land no longer seems surprising.

She instantly regains her composure.

Jialan remained calm and composed, showing her virtuous wife side, and ordered the crowd: "Everyone come over and line up; later, let the elders register one by one, don't lose propriety, disgracing your husband."

Seeing this, Chen Zheng glanced admiringly at Jialan, his figure moved, and he disappeared inside the Exquisite Blessed Land.

(End of chapter)