Inquiry about immortality

Chapter 2433: Blocking the Road

The sphere, enveloped by aerial roots, continuously expands and contracts, but its struggling force grows weaker and weaker.

Not far away, the branches and leaves conjured an old face. It looked at the air-root ball, confirmed that the Great Sage Ghostly Hideout could no longer cause any trouble, and then looked into the empty void.

This great battle did not alert the Demon Saint to the outside world.

The battle may not appear to be very large in scale, but the real clash takes place within the domains of both cultivators. When cultivators at the Integration stage engage in combat, they can control the battlefield within their domains, making the battle as large or as small as they wish.

Moreover, there's also the Void of Return blocking the way from the outside.

However, like the Seven Mansions of Xuanwu, this place is part of the Xuanwu Sacred Palace. At this time, there are still demon saints in the Dou Mansion. Once they have finished looting the Dou Mansion, this place will be discovered sooner or later.

The enormous root ball slowly sank and was eventually swallowed by the jungle, taking the Great Sage Ghostly Hidden to an unknown place.

Just then, the jungle suddenly stopped expanding, and the old face revealed a strange expression.

‘Wow! ’

The branches and leaves spread out, the aged face disappeared, and then re-emerged at the edge of the jungle, looking at Qingyuan who was blocking his way.

Qingyuan stood with his hands behind his back in front of the water, exuding an aura of being able to hold off ten thousand men.

Their eyes met. The Banyan Tree King recalled the words that Ghostly Great Sage had said before. Could it be that he was trying to bewitch this person?

"May I ask which fellow Daoist is visiting?"

A deep, rumbling voice rang out. As long as the demon realm was not involved, the Banyan Tree King was very peaceful.

Although the Banyan Tree King disguised himself as a demon king, he still had channels to contact the demon saints and had been secretly keeping a close eye on their movements. That's why he wasn't deceived by the illusions created by those demon saints and was able to strike at their vital points.

But the person in front of him was completely unfamiliar; he was not one of the demon saints.

Could it be that there are other powerful beings hidden in this world besides myself?

The Banyan King stared at Qingyuan and found that he could not see through him, as if he were facing a fog, which made him secretly startled.

This is definitely a formidable opponent!

"My name is Qingyuan," Qingyuan said, bowing slightly.

“So it’s Fellow Daoist Qingyuan! Please forgive my rudeness, but I have important business to attend to. I hope you can do me a favor. I would be extremely grateful,” the Banyan Tree King said solemnly in a very polite tone.

Qingyuan sighed, "I know your purpose, fellow Daoist, but unfortunately this treasure is not meant for you. If you can let go of your obsession, I am willing to sit down and discuss the Dao with you, and perhaps we can create a wonderful story."

As he spoke, Qingyuan pointed and a table with two stools appeared in front of the jungle. Then he looked at the Banyan King with expectant eyes.

"You say this treasure is not meant for me, but is it meant for you?" The Banyan King's tone was slightly sarcastic.

Unexpectedly, Qingyuan gently shook his head, "It's also not meant to be."

Seeing Qingyuan's serious expression, which didn't seem fake, the Banyan Tree King was taken aback, unable to guess Qingyuan's intentions. He frowned and asked in return, "What if this old man is unwilling?"

Qingyuan's gaze sharpened, and he said in a deep voice, "Cultivation is not easy. Please think it over carefully, fellow Daoist, lest you waste your cultivation!"

"Ha ha……"

Instead of being angry, the Banyan King laughed, its laughter like thunder, "Absurd! Whether we are destined to be together or not is not for you to decide!"

Then the writhing jungle tore the tables and chairs apart. In an instant, Qingyuan was surrounded by the jungle, his vision filled with dense aerial roots, experiencing the situation that the Great Sage Ghostly Hidden had been in before.

The jungle suddenly expanded to the edge of the water, and then aerial roots climbed up the water and continued to spread on the surface.

Qingyuan remained calm and raised his palm. A silver flame shot up from his palm. This spiritual fire was not as ethereal as ordinary flames. It seemed very heavy and solid, like mercury.

Looking at the silver flame in his hand, Qingzi gave a self-deprecating smile, "Unexpectedly, the fish wasn't cooked, but this Heavenly Silver Flame was used here instead."

Before the words were even finished, the Heavenly Silver Flames suddenly scattered, transforming into countless silver threads that drifted into the jungle. Compared to the vast jungle, these Heavenly Silver Flames were inconspicuous, but unexpectedly, the next moment, a raging fire broke out at the edge of the jungle.

Silver flames shot into the sky, instantly merging into one and dyeing the void silver. The Heavenly Silver Fire burned a clear boundary along the edge of the water, seemingly a boundary drawn by Qingyuan for the Banyan King. Unfortunately, the Banyan King did not appreciate it. The forest, like a giant beast, ruthlessly pressed down on the water, and countless aerial roots rushed into the sea of ​​fire.

Seeing this, Qingyuan gently shook his head and stopped restraining the Heavenly Capital Silver Fire, which instantly ignited the entire forest.

‘Wow! ’

Silver flames filled the jungle, igniting countless aerial roots. The spectacle seemed less powerful than the demonic fire unleashed by the Great Sage Ghostly Hideout before, and the aerial roots burned to ashes by the Heavenly Silver Fire did not regenerate.

Burning the entire jungle to the ground was obviously not an easy task, but Qingyuan revealed a confident smile.

……

Lotus Crossing the Great Marsh.

The incarnation that previously acted in the name of the Banyan Tree King is still rooted in the same place.

The cliff was torn apart, and the lake water flooded it, submerging its roots.

At this moment, a silver light appeared beneath the water's surface, followed by a wisp of silver flame that shot out from the roots. The surrounding aerial roots were ignited, and the silver fire spread across the tree, quickly transforming the incarnation into a giant torch.

This scene appeared simultaneously across the north and south, with each of the Banyan King's incarnations being tainted by that silver fire.

The demonic fire of the Great Sage of Ghostly Concealment couldn't even burn through the jungle domain, but Qingyuan's Heavenly Capital Silver Fire directly injured the Banyan Tree King's true form, and even ignited its outer clones.

The previous black energy had been suppressed by the clones. When the Heavenly Silver Fire suddenly erupted, all the clones seemed to be coated with a layer of mercury. The tree trunks became much heavier, and they vigorously swung their roots and branches, surging out streams of green spiritual light from their bodies to resist the Heavenly Silver Fire.

"You are not a demon!"

"You are not from this world!"

……

The Banyan Tree King's questions echoed through the Ruins of Return. As they fought, the Banyan Tree King finally discerned Qingyuan's background, realizing he was no cultivator from this realm.

Qingyuan did not answer, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding sea of ​​fire. The Heavenly Capital Silver Fire would cause some trouble for the Banyan Tree King, but it would not be enough to force the Banyan Tree King to retreat, after all, this was just an avatar of his.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the jungle domain of the Banyan King, seeing his countless clones.

Seeing that the power of the Heavenly Capital Silver Fire was gradually weakening, Qingyuan said again: "Eh? I didn't expect that you, fellow Daoist, have actually comprehended some of the divine Dao charm on your own. This is the Zhuling Divine Fire that I learned from the Upper Palace of Nanchang when I was traveling through Zhenzhou. It is a divine Dao refining fire. I wonder if you can withstand it?"

Before the words were finished, the silver flames in the sea of ​​fire began to recede, and then an invisible flame emerged. This flame was colorless and intangible, yet it possessed a sacred quality, capable of refining souls, and almost inspiring worship.

The invisible fire is harder to resist than the tangible Heavenly Silver Fire. The mercury on the surface of the Banyan King has faded, but the eerie flames ignite from within, as if they want to burn them through from the inside out.

Strangely, this flame was not meant to burn him to death, but rather to convert him, save him from the dead, and guide his soul to heaven!

Despite Qingyuan using two supernatural powers, the Banyan Tree King showed no composure whatsoever when facing the Great Sage Ghostly Hideout.

Qingyuan sat cross-legged in the forest, fully activating the Zhuling Divine Fire. The real battle had only just begun!

The Zhuling Divine Fire ignited all the incarnations of the Banyan Tree King, like a malignant boil clinging to the bone, yet none of those incarnations bore a single scorch mark.

'Swish, swish, swish!'

The jungle law domain went completely mad. Aerial roots sprouted branches, leaves, and root systems, turning into small banyan trees. The army of banyan trees relentlessly assaulted Qingyuan.

This action, however, could not help the Banyan King suppress the Zhuling Divine Fire. Just then, a green light suddenly appeared deep in the forest. Within the green light was a verdant branch, its surface shimmering with a warm luster. Several leaves were a vibrant green, like precious jade.

'Shuh! '

With a flick of a green branch, a ray of blue light spreads into the forest.

The army of banyan trees surged with momentum, and a subtle change occurred in the jungle domain. Then, tender buds sprouted from the source of the clear spring, and tender white roots grew from the soles of their feet.

As the tender buds sprouted and leaves spread, Qingyuan transformed into a human-tree, his skin gradually turning blue. But he paid no heed to this, letting his hair become a canopy, hanging down and enveloping him.

Beside him, the Heavenly Silver Fire formed a ring of fire, creating a pure land between him and the army of banyan trees.

Suddenly, Qingyuan's eyes snapped open, his pupils turning into eerie black ones, and a sinister and terrifying aura emanated from his body.

'Shuh! '

He raised his right hand, pointed with his fingers, and black energy emanated from his fingertips, revealing a pure white stone coffin!

At the same time, a green light shot towards him, which was the green branch that had appeared earlier. Wherever the green branch passed, the banyan trees formed from the aerial roots withered one after another. The green branch seemed to be absorbing the life force in the jungle domain.

'Whoosh! '

Fusion with the power of the jungle domain, the green branch resembles a sword light. If it were a sword, it would surely make countless sword cultivators pale in comparison!

'boom! ’

The green branches, like swords, slashed towards Qingyuan, but struck the stone coffin squarely.

The stone coffin hovered in front of Qingyuan, one end firmly blocking the green branches.

'Ta-da!'

The stone coffin trembled violently, and the lid was almost blown off. Through the gaps, shadowy figures could be seen inside the coffin, as if there were countless evil spirits inside.

‘Click! ’

Cracks instantly covered the stone coffin, which exploded with a bang, sending fragments flying everywhere. The evil spirits had vanished without a trace.

Green branches sprang up, swirling above the jungle, their trembling leaves revealing the Banyan King's astonished state of mind.

"who are you!"

The Banyan King found it increasingly difficult to understand Qingyuan.

The three supernatural powers that Qingyuan just used were Heavenly Capital Silver Fire, which is a spiritual fire of the Five Elements, and Zhuling Divine Fire, which comes from the Divine Path. This stone coffin is clearly a Ghost Path technique. Moreover, they are all just supernatural arts and not from the Legal Realm, but their power is extremely strong.

Gods, ghosts, and the five elements are all gathered in one person. What kind of cultivation method does this person practice?

"I am Qingyuan."

Qingyuan said calmly.

After a series of battles, the Banyan King was unable to force Qingyuan to retreat and cross the boundary line drawn by Qingyuan.

"I have no grudge against you, why are you hindering my path to enlightenment!" the Banyan King angrily questioned.

‘Wow! ’

A wild dance in the jungle, a fury soaring to the heavens.

He had waited countless years, his cultivation having long since reached the peak of the Demon Saint realm, practically a half-step Celestial Demon, yet he always lacked something. That treasure was the foundation for his enlightenment; once he refined it, he could break through the final barrier and become a Celestial Demon!

Just when the treasure was within his grasp, an uninvited guest suddenly appeared, blocking his path.

Looking at the furious jungle, Qingyuan calmly said, "I once made a promise to a senior, and I have come today to fulfill that promise. I cannot use it as a tool for you to achieve enlightenment. I am sorry... Although there is no enmity between us, it is due to karma."

"Cause and effect...hahaha...cause and effect...hahahaha..."

The Banyan King let out a maniacal laugh, a laugh filled with grief and indignation, and the army of banyan trees in the jungle seemed to have turned into demons.

Qingyuan sighed silently and closed his eyes.

……

"I have no grudge against you, why are you blocking my path to enlightenment!"

Qin Sang paused, listened intently, and faintly heard a roar coming from behind.

At this moment, he was in the water and could not sense the fluctuations of the battle between the powerful beings behind him, but he could hear the roar of the Banyan Tree King, which showed how grief-stricken he was.

"Attaining enlightenment..."

Qin Sang glanced back and murmured those two words.

Is the Banyan Tree King not yet at the Mahayana stage, and the Landscape Painting can help the Banyan Tree King break through to the Mahayana stage? Are Qingyuan and I cutting off the Banyan Tree King's hope of attaining enlightenment?

"The grudge of being blocked from the road..."

Qin Sang truly couldn't bear such a heavy accusation, and only hoped that the Banyan Tree King wouldn't blame her.

The Jiangshan Map actually has the power to help people achieve enlightenment. No wonder both demon cultivators in this world and powerful beings in the spirit world are vying for this treasure. I wonder if Qingyuan will be able to take the Jiangshan Map out of the world after he gets his hands on it.

As these thoughts swirled in Qin Sang's mind, her understanding of acquired spiritual treasures deepened.

Can all acquired spiritual treasures help people achieve enlightenment?

Even someone as powerful as the Banyan Tree King, who should have no shortage of genuine treasures and acquired spiritual treasures, still wanted to contend for the Jiangshan Map.

The landscape painting is probably an isolated case.

The roar of the Banyan King echoed in Qin Sang's mind. If he were to encounter an enemy blocking his path when he was about to break through, he would probably be even angrier than the King.

The struggle for the Great Dao is this cruel!

Qin Sang shook his head, cleared his mind of distractions, and focused on looking around. He wondered how long Qingyuan could hold off the Banyan King, and he had to find the inkstone as soon as possible.

The pearl guided him into the water, and as he moved forward, he continued to dive deeper.

There were quite a few Protoss here; he had just brushed past a school of fish.

After finding the fish posed no danger, Qin Sang boldly approached. Upon closer inspection, the sensations became even more pronounced. These fish were indeed transformed from star spirits, but they were vastly different from the star spirits Qin Sang had seen before; they seemed to have been specially refined.

They wander here endlessly, like tireless cleaners, tending to this boundless body of water, but it's unclear what they're cleaning up.

In addition, the eerie feeling he had felt earlier became even stronger as Qin Sang entered the water, making him somewhat uneasy.

'boom! boom! boom! ’

In the silence, Qin Sang heard her own heartbeat and felt a pressure enveloping her.

Despite holding the pearl in her hand, Qin Sang still had a feeling that this place was rejecting her. If it weren't for the pearl, she probably wouldn't have been able to get in at all, and if she forced her way in, she would have been crushed into mincemeat.

"This kind of breath..."

Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly, sensing a familiarity, and she immediately understood where it came from.

This is the aura of Xuanwu!

'Shuh! '

With a flash of sword light, Qin Sang actually summoned the Taiyin Spirit Sword here and directly unleashed a sword formation.

The Sword Star manifested, and the sea of ​​stars hung above Qin Sang's head. The Sword Star of the Northern Seven Mansions shone brightly, and instantly the Star Fiend appeared, a Xuanwu (Black Tortoise) formed from starlight slowly descending. (End of Chapter)