Chapter 253: No Aftertaste in Getting One's Wish, A Deep Pit Awaits a Misstep

The void sank heavily, the land shattered—

In the blink of an eye, this small mystic realm, already teetering on the brink, completely lost the strength to sustain itself!

The Five Qi fell into disorder, and ominous scenes filled the sky.

The earth collapsed, mountains crumbled, and resentment swirled and gathered!

Watching the various cultivators sway to and fro in the great void gale, their figures drifting like dust and catkins, unable to control themselves.

The red-robed old man narrowed his narrow eyes, leaving only a faint slit, his face holding an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

He seemed to want to strike, to add a bit more force.

But in the end, he was concerned about something.

He suppressed this thought, let out a cold snort, and made no further move.

Back when the Flowing Fire Liuhuo Honghua Mystic Realm was still in the Primordial Void, it had been observed by two True Lords from the Crimson Bright Sect and the Yuchen Sect, who had agreed to a wager of three bouts.

After that Yuanshu Zhenjun Li of the Yuchen Sect won the situation.

This spirit of the mystic realm was still completely oblivious.

It was restrained from afar by a great magic power and trapped on the ninth floor of the main hall, unable to move an inch, and also lost the authority to dispose of the mystic realm.

Watching helplessly as a group of juniors acted recklessly in the mystic realm, to the point where even the wall pillars and bricks were pried away, it was simply like a swarm of locusts passing through.

The spirit of the mystic realm had long been filled with stifled anger.

It wished it could strike these people dead one by one with its staff!

However, it also knew.

Since that Yuanshu Zhenjun Li of the Yuchen Sect had made this arrangement.

He would not allow it to act recklessly either.

Now that even the ninth floor of this underground palace's main hall had been breached, presumably all the opportunities had been exhausted.

The mystic realm was already in a state of being unable to sustain itself; it making it sink prematurely, not wanting to see the faces of these juniors, was merely going with the flow.

And if one wanted to go any further.

That would be absolutely impossible...

At this moment.

As the sky sank and the earth collapsed, Shen Cheng was not panicked; his expression was as usual, and he guided his mind to resonate with the Water-Fire Well.

Before long, a cluster of rosy light descended, moving Chen Hang and the others out of the underground palace and onto the surface.

Zhao Tong's reaction was not slow either; he followed suit and also brought the people from his side away from the underground palace.

And outside the underground palace, as far as the eye could see.

One only saw a scene of ruin and destruction.

A vast, boundless gap appeared in the sky, and high mountains and great peaks were caught by the suction, as if they had lost their own weight, and they all threw themselves toward the gap.

It was just that often before they even got close, they were like paper, torn to shreds in mid-air, resulting in flying rubble that densely blocked the sky!

Seeing this, the cultivators were all startled.

Although they knew that the various Masters of Crane He Ming Shan should have measures to deal with this scene, they still couldn't help but lose color on their faces.

Shen Cheng shook his head slightly, just about to speak.

But he saw Chen Hang bow slightly, without saying much, his body already wrapped in a cluster of blue light, disappearing instantly.

"What is Xiao Xiao Shixiong Chen doing?"

He Manzi asked in surprise.

"Don't forget, who did Chen Chen Shidi come to Crane He Ming Shan with..."

Shen Cheng couldn't help but laugh, raised his hand to stroke, and a vast, mighty cyan true qi flew out, hanging down like layers of curtains, enclosing everyone within it.

"Little Qiao?"

Shen Ming also smiled upon hearing this, similarly opening his hands and spreading out his true qi.

The cultivators in the field exerted their strength together, and for a time, various lights appeared, dazzling and colorful, shining for several miles, which was quite a sight to behold, and only then did they barely manage to stabilize their figures in place, resisting the immense suction from the gap.

"I once heard my Master mention it occasionally in his Daoist temple; the noble clans are not necessarily determined to stand on their own. For example, in the Qiao clan, Qiao Ding has the intention of leaning toward our Yuchen Sect..."

Because his injuries had not yet healed, the Red-Browed Daoist could not exert much strength.

Seeing that the situation had stabilized slightly, he couldn't help but tease:

"When the eldest of the Hu clan got married, the fellow disciples present didn't bleed little... And now, with Chen Chen Shidi in this state, who's to say that in a few years, he won't be the son-in-law of the Mi Mountain! But the noble clans have great families and big businesses, what haven't they seen?

When we offer our congratulatory gifts, we must not be stingy. If we let the Mi Mountain side look down on us, it will not only make Chen Chen Shidi lose face, but also lose the reputation of our sect!"

Once these words were spoken.

The cultivators couldn't help but smile.

A yellow-faced Daoist shook his head and sighed:

"You fellow disciples have talent, and were early on favored by the True Persons of the Upper Sect, or were supported in your cultivation by the Masters and Supervisors in the academy... But those of us without a master's inheritance are always short of money. If we want to scrape together a congratulatory gift that won't make the noble clans look down on us, I'm afraid we can only sell ourselves, right?"

"Chen Chen Shidi Yan is also thick-skinned."

The Red-Browed Daoist glanced at him and laughed: "You are proficient in a good talisman technique; you must have secretly earned quite a bit over these years, right? Last year when I posted a bounty to go down the mountain to eliminate a nest of Five-Chang quiet monsters, you were evasive when I borrowed a few Source-Seeking Talismans from you; it was not straightforward at all!"

The yellow-faced Daoist laughed, not feeling embarrassed:

"Even brothers must settle accounts clearly; paying money and getting goods is a matter of course, how can this be blamed on me?"

Thus, the topic shifted, and it immediately turned to the yellow-faced Daoist, drawing many people to speak up for the Red-Browed Daoist.

Shen Cheng smiled slightly, having no intention of participating in this lively scene.

He only looked toward the gap in the sky, his gaze deep and dark, as if lost in thought...

Elsewhere.

Rocks tumbled and clouds collapsed, mountains shook and the earth swayed.

Birds and beasts fled in all directions, without any specific direction, just like a group of headless flies rushing about everywhere.

Wherever they passed, miserable and terrifying cries lasted for a long time, making those who heard them feel a chill in their bones.

Seven Qiao Rui stood covered in dust on a pile of collapsed rocks, driving a small fan, dodging the breaking rocks crashing everywhere, while struggling to stabilize her figure.

At this moment, she felt a tightness in the wind behind her head, and subconsciously wanted to shake her fan to wave out a burst of fire.

But her wrist was gently held by someone, unable to move.

"Xiao Xiao Shixiong?!"

After seeing the face of the person who came, Seven Qiao Rui's eyes lit up, and she said loudly.

"The spirit of the mystic realm has come out; this small world will sink prematurely..."

Chen Hang let go of her hand, explained slightly, and said:

"Do not panic, the various Masters of Crane He Ming Shan should have measures to deal with this; I will take Junior Sister Qiao to avoid it for a while."

Seven Qiao Rui quietly put away the few protective talismans Chen Hang had given her, feeling very happy in her heart, as if a heavy stone had been lifted, and she nodded repeatedly.

However, before she could move.

Between heaven and earth, a long laugh suddenly rang out, rumbling.

The mountains shook, and the sea of clouds boiled!

Looking up, one only saw a cluster of misty fog appear out of nowhere, actually blocking the huge gap in the sky tightly.

Observing closely, there seemed to be faint palm prints in the fog.

It was just like a giant hand reaching out, holding the sinking Flowing Fire Liuhuo Honghua Mystic Realm firmly in its palm!

In an instant.

The wind was calm and the waves were still, with no ripples.

All the anomalies disappeared without a trace.

The spirit of the mystic realm felt a chill in its heart, stepped out from the ninth-floor palace, arrived in the layered clouds, and shouted in a low voice:

"Yuanshu Zhenjun Li?!"

A voice from outside the sky laughed and said:

"Not so, not so, not Yuanshu Zhenjun Li, but Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding! How could my Master have the interest to manage such trivial matters? When there is work, the disciple serves; I can only trouble myself to come for a trip and clean up the aftermath."

The spirit of the mystic realm's expression changed, but before it could say anything more, a vast and mighty power suddenly spread around it, making it difficult to move, as if it were a tiny mosquito trapped in amber.

After hesitating for a few breaths.

The spirit of the mystic realm finally bowed with difficulty and said helplessly:

"This Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding... I wonder how you intend to deal with this old one?"

"It is inevitable that you can no longer maintain this mystic realm and your status will be lowered; it would be better to go to our Yuchen Sect and become a spirit of a blessed land."

The voice outside the sky said faintly:

"Recently in the Yuqi Heaven, our sect's disciple Wang Ruyi has uprooted the three Dao veins of the Xuanfeng Cave and unified the Yu Prefecture of the Yuqi Heaven; this merit is not small, and the sect should also show something.

If there are no accidents, you should be bestowed upon Wang Ruyi as one of the rewards to compensate for his achievements."

"Wang Ruyi... surnamed Wang?"

The spirit of the mystic realm repeated this name a few times, pondering in its mind.

It also knew that the person who spoke would not mention this name for no reason, and it had a faint guess in its heart, probing:

"I wonder what relationship this Wang Ruyi has with my old master?"

"Five hundred years after the Huoxia Ancestor passed away, the Huoxia Sect was broken up due to an internal strife; the Huoxia Ancestor's eldest disciple Wang Zhiqiong went far away to the West Xi Su Zhou to establish the Huoxia Sect's orthodoxy there. But he could not gain a foothold in the West Xi Su Zhou, and not long after, because of the matter of sacrificing to ward off disasters, he offended the Celestials of the Hemo Tribe, and was killed by the Celestials leading the crowd, and his descendants were also degraded to slaves for generations."

Hearing this, the veins on the spirit of the mystic realm's forehead jumped wildly, and its face sank like water.

But it still endured its temper.

Without saying a word...

"As for that Wang Ruyi, he is a descendant of Wang Zhiqiong. Many years ago, an elder of our sect visited a friend in the West Xi Su Zhou and happened to see this child herding sheep; seeing that his bones were ordinary but his character was quite good, he brought him back to the Dongmi Prefecture and ordered this Wang Ruyi to cultivate the Dao in the Changying Academy."

The voice outside the sky said:

"In this way, you and Wang Ruyi actually have some origins; handing you over to him can be considered fulfilling a fate."

Hearing this.

The spirit of the mystic realm no longer had any hesitation, bowed heavily to the sky:

"Thank you, Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding of Yuchen, for your great kindness!"

The voice smiled slightly.

In an instant, Chen Hang and the others only felt a blur before their eyes, their feet leaving the ground, as if they were stepping on some ethereal clouds and mist.

Only when they could see things again.

Did they realize that they had been moved out of the Flowing Fire Liuhuo Honghua Mystic Realm and had returned to the present world...

It was about the Si hour now.

The daylight was bright.

The morning sun's radiance passed through the clouds, scattering in a mottled pattern, covering the entire Crane He Ming Shan.

The mountain wind blew gently, and the curling white smoke around them rippled like water waves.

And looking up.

In the extreme sky, a man about thirty years old, with a high Daoist bun, was standing in the void, holding a five-colored gourd in his hand, from which smoke light was spraying out, manifesting a giant hand that covered the sky, holding the falling Flowing Fire Liuhuo Honghua Mystic Realm firmly.

The man's lips moved slightly, as if he were still talking to the spirit of the mystic realm.

Before long, he suddenly patted the five-colored gourd, and the Flowing Fire Liuhuo Honghua Mystic Realm instantly turned into a glowing grain of light the size of a millet, which was sucked into the gourd and disappeared without a trace.

"Greetings, Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding!"

In Crane He Ming Shan at this time.

Besides the Masters of the Four Academies, the heads of the few small clans in the mountain also rushed over, waiting respectfully on the side.

Seeing him look over with a smile, the cultivators all bowed together.

For a time, the sound was like thunder, and it was unknown how many roosting birds were startled, rumbling and echoing in the valley, with echoes lingering!

"Since I started cultivating the Dao, it has not been easy to attain the Return to Emptiness fruit, just for this title of Yuanshu Zhenjun! Hearing your shout today, I feel truly comfortable in my heart!"

Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding smiled kindly, waved his sleeve gently, and shouted:

"Manifesting holiness in front of people is indeed a satisfying thing; the ancients did not deceive me! You juniors need to cultivate well, so that you can have such prestige in the future, do you understand?"

Once these words were spoken, the Red-Browed Daoist and the others had strange and astonished expressions on their faces, as if they hadn't expected this Yuanshu Zhenjun of the Upper Sect to have such an easygoing temperament.

But they didn't dare to say anything more, and could only bow and agree.

And at this moment.

Masters like Xie Yu and Qiao Jingyi, who were from noble clans, saw that the noble clan side had lost more than half of their people, and the rest were mostly injured and had low spirits.

When they looked over, these people's eyes dodged, and their faces carried a look of shame.

It was obvious that they had clashed with the sect disciples in the mystic realm and had not gained any advantage, but instead had suffered a great loss.

"Trash! All trash! The number of people is twice theirs, how could they still lose like this!" Xie Yu cursed inwardly.

And when he saw that Sima Mingye's figure was missing from the crowd, and even Xiao Xiujing was injured, with only one Liu Guan remaining safe and sound.

His heart instantly turned cold, as if falling into an ice cellar.

"The son of a thousand gold does not sit in the hall... Sima Mingye, you pride yourself on bravery, but in the end, you couldn't even protect your own life. If this news spreads, it will damage our reputation again!"

Xie Yu's eyes jumped wildly, suddenly guessing something, and he looked coldly at Chen Hang, killing intent surging in the dark.

In public, he expected Xie Yu wouldn't dare to do anything.

Chen Hang also looked back calmly and bowed slightly.

This scene was seen by everyone.

Shen Hunsu Yuan Zhi remained calm.

That Master surnamed Luo who gave Chen Hang the "Purple Clear Divine Thunder" was extremely satisfied, looking at Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding several times, his eyes flickering.

And at this moment.

On the noble clan side, Wang Dian suddenly stepped out from the crowd.

His face was pale, and he was not lightly injured; after glancing at Chen Hang, he looked angrily at He Manzi, full of rage.

In the previous clash in the underground palace, even though Liu Lingzheng had the Golden River Chariot to protect his body, he was still slashed by He Manzi's sword, his body and head separated.

If it weren't for the many talisman treasures on Wang Dian's body.

I'm afraid he wouldn't have escaped the disaster either...

And just when Wang Dian was filled with hatred and wanted to expose He Manzi's bullying of the small in public to seek justice.

Xie Yu seemed to have guessed something and glanced at him sharply.

Making Wang Dian's throat suddenly tighten, and the words he wanted to say were difficult to utter.

"Losing is losing; if your skills are not as good as others, that's how it should be... The sect treats us as whetstones, but we have also gained many benefits in the sect; this matter is not without precedent, it's just mutual wins and losses."

Liu Guan shook his head, pressed Wang Dian's shoulder, and transmitted a complex message:

"Stop here, don't be a sore loser..."

"..."

After Wang Dian was silent for a long time, he nodded slowly, without saying a word.

"It seems this mystic realm is indeed dangerous."

Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding saw this scene and sighed, saying:

"Pity, pity, the Lower Academy has lost so many heroes, it is truly a regrettable matter."

"Returning to Yuanshu Zhenjun, the immortal path is dangerous, and casualties are inevitable."

Xie Yu bowed deeply, smiled, and replied:

"If we are more careful next time, I think it should be fine."

Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding smiled slightly and said:

"In that case, we must be more cautious in the future. I came here today just to bring this small mystic realm back to the Xiaoming Great Marsh. Since the matter is finished, I should leave. You should also set off to return to the mountain early, and don't disturb the owner of this place anymore."

The heads of the few small clans were all trembling, saying they didn't dare.

The Masters bowed and agreed, including Xie Yu and others, all with respectful attitudes, leaving no room for criticism.

"I see your bones are clear and strange, you are a good seedling; stay under this Yuanshu Zhenjun's seat for these few days to listen to the lecture."

At this moment.

Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding suddenly raised his hand slightly and pointed at Chen Hang.

Although Xie Yu and others were surprised, they were not unexpected.

That Master surnamed Luo was overjoyed, his heart filled with joy.

"Thank you, Yuanshu Zhenjun, for your great kindness! Disciple..."

Chen Hang was slightly startled, but soon steadied his mind and bowed to speak.

Seeing him speak, Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding's gaze paused on Seven Qiao Rui, and he couldn't help but laugh lightly, guessing his intention.

Before Chen Hang could finish speaking, he interrupted.

"The woman beside you also has clear and strange bones, so listen to the lecture together!"

After speaking, he didn't say much more, just rolled his sleeve, and the two were instantly circled into his sleeve, disappearing from the spot.

"Respectfully send off Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding!"

Master surnamed Luo took the lead and bowed.

"Respectfully send off Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding..."

Xie Yu and others had complex emotions, but didn't dare to be rude, and could only follow him and bow.

Seeing this, Yuanshu Zhenjun Ding's eyes smiled slightly, and with a movement of his mind, without any action.

His figure disappeared into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 254 =====