txolops Chapter 426 The Hidden Realm
Chapter 426 The Hidden Realm
Chapter 426 The Hidden Realm
As they spoke, Silver Shark Island came into view.
The four said no more and flew off in different directions on the island—Elder Yi returned to the Star Palace, Blood Fiend returned to the Reverse Star Alliance stronghold, Elder Yan returned to his hidden cave, and Luo Ming flew straight to the Bright Moon Tower in the southeast region.
Watching the three figures disappear in different directions, Luo Ming hovered above Mingyue Tower, his gaze calmly sweeping over the locations where the three had just left.
"As expected—there's an even greater secret hidden beneath the central island of that secret realm. The Blood Pool of Myriad Spirits—can it help Nascent Soul cultivators purify their true essence and temper their physical bodies?" Luo Ming muttered to himself, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"That sounds like a good opportunity. Ten years from now—that's plenty of time. We can go in and explore with a few people."
If someone had invited him to re-enter that secret realm before he condensed his nascent soul, he would have refused outright.
He could never forget that drop of essence blood that exuded the aura of the late Nascent Soul stage. If it weren't for the Heavenly Mirror Hermit consuming his divine soul essence to severely injure the primordial spirit within, Luo Ming would not have been able to refine that drop of Xuanwu True Blood.
He was absolutely certain that a great secret related to the Xuanwu True Blood was hidden deep within that altar, and if it could be unearthed, it would be of great benefit.
Now that he has achieved the Nascent Soul stage, his strength has skyrocketed, and he has many trump cards at his disposal, so his confidence is naturally different from before. In particular, the effects of the "Myriad Spirits Blood Pool" are quite tempting for him, a cultivator who cultivates both body and magic.
"Ten years—with the help of the 'Spirit Gathering Cauldron'—is enough time for me to initially refine and fuse those different kinds of spiritual fire. At that time, the power of the newly acquired spiritual fire should be enough to severely injure a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Coupled with other methods, my safety should be sufficiently guaranteed." Luo Ming had already made up his mind, a confident glint in his eyes.
Without lingering, he transformed into a streak of azure light and descended towards the Bright Moon Pavilion below, which was now shrouded in layers of restrictions yet still exuded an aura of anxious waiting.
The past day has been a thrilling and dramatic experience for the vast majority of low- to mid-level cultivators on the island.
First, strange phenomena appeared in the sky, and someone condensed a nascent soul. The whole island rejoiced, looking forward to the fact that the human race would have another giant, making it safer to go out to sea to hunt demons and explore resources.
Then, the situation suddenly changed. A powerful demon in human form launched a fierce attack, especially the terrifying giant whale in the mid-stage of its transformation. It broke through the island's protective formation with a single blow, its ferocious power overwhelming everyone, making them fear that disaster was imminent.
Unexpectedly, the situation took an unexpected turn. The newly promoted Ancestor Luo was incredibly powerful. He first trapped the giant demon with a strange black banner, and as soon as he successfully formed his Nascent Soul, he unleashed thunderous methods, causing the arrogant mid-stage Transformation demon cultivator to flee in disarray! When the news spread, all the cultivators on the island were greatly excited, and a sense of security and pride welled up within them.
To their even greater surprise, a few days later, cultivators who frequently operated in the nearby waters or were responsible for monitoring the entrance to the "Sea King Sect" secret realm were astonished to discover that the numerous high-level demonic beasts that had originally occupied the vicinity of the secret realm passage and posed a great threat to human cultivators had disappeared without a trace, just like the tide receding within a few days.
For a time, human cultivators in Silver Shark Island and the surrounding waters became unprecedentedly active, organizing their forces to enter the "Sea King Sect" secret realm, clearing out the remaining demonic beasts, seizing resource points, and keeping themselves extremely busy.
Compared to the bustling Silver Shark Island, a remote and desolate island tens of thousands of miles away, only a few miles in circumference, appears lifeless and oppressive.
In the center of the island, a short, stout man with dark blue skin and several thick, short beards on his forehead sat cross-legged. His demonic power fluctuated, his face was abnormally pale, and his aura was slightly weak. He was none other than Zhang Laoguai, a demon cultivator of the Giant Octopus Clan who had transformed into human form.
While circulating his internal energy to suppress the hidden injuries within his body, he would occasionally scan the sea outside the island with his divine sense, his anxious emotions almost materializing.
"Ten days have passed—Brother Whale, Brother Owl, Brother Dove, why hasn't any of them come to join us yet? Could something have happened?" Old Monster Zhang muttered to himself, his voice hoarse.
This was the secret meeting point the four of them had agreed upon beforehand, in case of any unforeseen circumstances. He had been waiting here for many days, but the three of them had never appeared. An ominous premonition, like a cold vine, quietly wrapped around his heart.
Just then, "whoosh!"
Suddenly, the sea surface broke open not far away, and a gigantic octopus-like monster, with a massive body, eight thick tentacles, and an aura around the peak of level six, slowly emerged from the water. It did not completely come ashore, but instead sent a rapid and peculiar wave of spiritual energy towards Old Monster Zhang, clearly conveying some kind of message.
Inside the cave, Old Monster Zhang suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of blue light in them, and listened intently.
A few breaths later, the paleness on his face caused by his injuries was instantly replaced by extreme shock and disbelief. His eyes widened as he stared intently at the younger member of his clan who was delivering the message on the sea.
"You—what did you say? Whale Power King—Brother Whale's soul tablet has been completely shattered and dissipated in the clan? Confirmed to have perished!" Old Monster Zhang's voice suddenly rose in shock, trembling slightly.
Although he was unwilling to believe it, he knew that there was a special bloodline sensing technique among the same race, similar to the human race's "Primordial Spirit Lamp". Especially for important members like Whale Power King who were in the mid-stage of transformation, their life or death status could be vaguely sensed by high-level demon beasts of the same race within a certain range through secret methods.
The information brought by this level-six octopus came from the level-seven giant whales that followed Whale King and are now lurking in the nearby waters, so it should be accurate.
"Brother Whale—he's really fallen—" Old Monster Zhang murmured in a daze, a chill running from his feet to the top of his head. If the Whale King, a mid-stage Transformation Realm expert, is dead, what about Fire Owl and Nether Dove, whose strength is similar to his, or even slightly inferior? They've been missing for so long; their fate is probably grim as well—
The thought exploded in his mind like a thunderbolt, sending a chill down his spine. Of the three fellow cultivators who had come together, one was dead and two were missing. If this news reached the depths of the outer sea, it would surely cause a huge uproar!
Old Master Zhang's expression shifted rapidly, a mixture of surprise, fear, lingering dread, and relief. He took a few deep breaths, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and his eyes returned to their somber state.
"We can't stay here any longer!" He made a swift judgment. With the death of Whale King, the power of the human race on Silver Shark Island would reach its peak, and the balance of power in this sea area would be completely broken. For a long time to come, the human race would likely hold an absolute advantage. The territories near Silver Shark Island that their Giant Octopus Clan had previously occupied must be abandoned immediately!
He looked at the level-six octopus awaiting orders on the sea surface and, in a manner unique to the demon race, swiftly transmitted a clear divine command: "Pass on my order: all races within a million miles of Silver Shark Island, effective immediately, shall migrate towards the 'Inkstone Islands' at the edge of the 'Black Abyss Sea'!"
The level-six octopus dared not be negligent, its spiritual energy conveying a respectful response. Then, with a flick of its eight arms, its massive body silently sank into the sea and quickly disappeared into the distance, relaying the migration order.
Watching his subordinates leave, Old Monster Zhang remained silent for a moment, a struggle appearing on his face, which ultimately turned into helplessness and heaviness. He sighed deeply, his figure flickered, transforming into a slightly dim blue streak of light, and without lingering, sped off into the deeper reaches of the outer sea.
The place he was going to was one of the true core areas of the outer sea demon race, the Black Abyss Sea, the territory of the Golden Flood Dragon King, which ruled over a vast sea area including races such as giant whales and giant octopuses.
He had to go in person to report in detail to the king who ruled the endless seas about the series of earth-shattering news: the suspected fall of the Whale King, the disappearance of the Fire Owl and the Dark Dove, and the emergence of a terrifyingly powerful new human Nascent Soul cultivator on Silver Shark Island.
In stark contrast to Zhang Laoguai's terrified escape and preoccupied state, Luo Ming, living in the Bright Moon Pavilion on Silver Shark Island, was enjoying a peaceful and somewhat comfortable life.
The news that Luo Ming had condensed his Nascent Soul and directly repelled a mid-stage Transformation Demon Cultivator had already spread throughout the entire island. Although Luo Ming declined the grand Nascent Soul celebration proposed by the Ninth Elder and others, the threshold of "Bright Moon Pavilion" was still almost worn down by a constant stream of visitors in the days that followed.
All factions on the island, whether affiliated with the Star Palace, the Reverse Star Alliance, or independent small and medium-sized families and outstanding rogue cultivators, prepared generous gifts to offer their congratulations, attempting to establish a relationship with this newly promoted and powerful Nascent Soul Ancestor.
Lower-level cultivators yearn to become disciples, even if it's just to have a nominal title; mid-level cultivators hope to receive guidance or seek protection.
Luo Ming naturally had no interest in dealing with these trivial matters. He entrusted all tasks, such as receiving visitors, processing gift lists, and filtering information, to the tactful and experienced Jiang Rufeng, and the thoughtful and communicative Wen Siyue.
He himself was happy to have some peace and quiet, spending most of his time in the quiet room on the top floor with his Daoist partner Yuan Yao, living a "world of two" undisturbed.
Inside the quiet room, an array separated the inside from the outside, and spiritual energy permeated the air. Luo Ming and Yuan Yao sat facing each other, their palms pressed together, their pure magical power and profound spiritual energy forming a perfect cycle within their bodies.
The "Heavenly Yin Qi" within Yuan Yao's body is extremely refined and pure, possessing incredible and miraculous effects on stabilizing cultivation and harmonizing Yin and Yang.
With the help of the dual cultivation technique, Luo Ming's initially weak and superficial Nascent Soul cultivation power and realm rapidly solidified.
As his nascent soul became more stable and refined, his understanding of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth deepened day by day.
Yuan Yao also benefited greatly. With the feedback from Luo Ming's pure Nascent Soul magic power and the stimulation and guidance of the "Heavenly Yin Qi", her cultivation, which was already close to the bottleneck, naturally broke through and steadily entered the mid-stage of Core Formation, and her magic power increased exponentially.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, half a year has passed since Luo Ming condensed his Nascent Soul.
On this day, deep underground in Mingyue Tower, in a special secret room shrouded in heavy restrictions and filled with a chilling atmosphere.
Luo Ming sat alone on a cold jade futon, his expression calm. In front of him, within an area shrouded by a transparent light barrier, eight spirit insects, jet black and shiny, with a pair of thin, cicada-wing-like ice-blue wings on their backs and shaped like centipedes, were quietly exhaling pure, icy energy.