Chapter 614

Chapter 614: The Guardian Clan of the Ladder

Around four thousand years ago, high-level demon cultivators favored ascending to the Heavenly Realm. However, at some point, all the Great Powers and gifted practitioners could no longer sense the existence of the Heavenly Realm.

Not only did the Heavenly Realm disappear from the skies, but it also vanished from everyone’s perception, leaving the cultivation world in a state of panic for a long time. As time passed, it became a secret, so much so that very few practitioners today know of the extraordinary domain that once existed above them, which they longed for most.

Since Li Hui learned about the Heavenly Realm, he had dreamed of achieving the full cultivation of his Ideal Body and, after ascending to the Azure Sky layer, exploring the secrets lost for years.

But unexpectedly, his Legal Form was struck by the Time Claws, trapping him in the time and space of six hundred years ago. It was certainly gratifying to have made plans in advance within the Nine Maangs, but the prolonged separation from his true body would hinder his path. Thus, he prepared carefully and set off immediately.

Having created the Mixed Yuan Yin Absorption Talismans, Li Hui pointed decisively toward the waterfall and shouted, “Rush!”

The wind howled as hundreds of talismans took flight.

Before long, the waterfall clattered as the dark energy transformed into floating orbs that fell onto the water’s surface. The chaotic energy surged violently, and in an instant, it shattered the waterfall into pieces.

Li Hui sighed, “This won’t do! The dark energy is insignificant; what truly weakens everyone is the chaotic energy. We need to find a way to repel or contain the chaotic energy within a talisman. This is challenging; the chaotic energy is ancient and cannot simply be termed chaotic, for it is purely empty. Yet, it is not entirely pure either, as it disrupts the Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.”

After sitting in silence for a long while, he felt a bit dazed. He couldn’t find any talisman methods that could deal with the chaotic energy through the Dragon Spring Purple Talisman Classic.

“This… requires a shift in thinking. Since the chaotic energy is attached to the dark energy, could harmonizing the Yin-Yang temporarily open a pathway?”

Having come up with an idea, Li Hui, now wealthy, took out a Pure Yang treasure—the brow bone shed by the Kangyang golden wind beast.

It is said that this divine beast lives beyond the Azure Sky layer, in places where sunlight is most intense. They are naturally drawn to gaze upon the sun, absorbing the power of the red sun with their eyes. Over time, their brow bones are scorched, transforming into hard spikes resembling horns. Every five thousand years, the Kangyang golden wind beast must shed its brow bone to advance further.

The brow bone of a Kangyang golden wind beast is immensely precious, having accumulated Pure Yang power over time from absorbing red sun flames, a power that restrains all vile things.

Li Hui began preparing, extracting a strand of Pure Yang power from the brow bone, quickly sealing it within a Sheng Dou talisman before summoning it toward the waterfall.

“Boom!”

The Yin and Yang energies clashed, causing the chaotic energy to swell rapidly and appear like bubbles from a distance. Although the effect was short-lived, it sparked hope in Li Hui of ascending against the current of the waterfall.

“Reaching the Late Stage of the Traveling Realm can transition to a Pure Yang Body. It seems that during this phase, to explore the Heavenly Realm, I need to reach at least the Late Stage of the Traveling Realm. No choice; I must go regardless of difficulty.”

“Let’s approach the waterfall.” As Li Hui waved his hand, the team advanced. When they were two hundred zhang away from the waterfall, hundreds of men clad in beast skins blocked their path. A tall elder raised his hand to stop them, saying, “Stop! You Nine Maangs Practitioners truly don’t know how to write the death character. Six months ago, you tried to break into the Ancient Heavenly Ladder; back then, small skirmishes were one thing, but now you gather so many people. I advise you all to stop while you can!”

“Those who block our master’s carriage shall die,” declared the ten sword cultivators leading the way as they unsheathed their golden swords.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

The sharp golden lines rushed toward the tall elder, who merely raised a hand to summon a strand of chaotic energy, effortlessly dissolving the attack with divine skill.

Li Hui immediately understood why Old Tie’s men returned defeated before. These practitioners had trained for years, causing their bodies to align with the chaotic energy, making them virtually untouchable near the waterfall.

“Elder, I have a reason I must go to the Heavenly Realm; please let us pass,” Li Hui stated. It wasn’t easy for him to create such a grand arrangement in the Hao Family. Originally, he aimed to act six months prior but hesitated, feeling uncertain, so he waited until he had demon transformed into his Bi Lan form.

“No matter how many reasons you have, our clan is responsible for guarding this area, and no one may proceed to the Heavenly Realm,” the elder stubbornly retorted with a glare.

“Then I must offend you!” Li Hui couldn’t be bothered with idle talk. This old stubborn had sanctified his own actions. With many eyes watching, it was clear he wished to establish authority before the little ones.

“Zzing…” The Hao Family’s team unleashed webs spun by spider demons.

The elder sneered and was about to harness the chaotic energy to shred the webs, only to find that Li Hui moved much quicker. He drew Pure Yang force from the brow bone and casually drew a few talismans in the air, creating a roaring explosion that formed a massive bubble covering a hundred zhang.

“Not good!”

The elder and his followers fell into the demon webs, left bewildered, their faces turning green as they babbled incoherently.

Without Li Hui’s orders, his men immediately stepped forward to capture the prisoners and discovered they were quite impoverished, lacking even a single magic treasure.

Li Hui found this normal; living near the Ancient Heavenly Ladder, the chaotic energy suppressed the Five Elements, making it impossible for any magic treasure to last long. Gathering information from the elder was more crucial now.

Tianyi approached and placed her hand on the elder’s forehead, saying, “So, this guy only has Bosa stage cultivation. His body is thriving after being refined by the dark energy. How peculiar!”

The Qingfu tribe is skilled in soul searching, and Tianzhu also found someone to assist. Suddenly, she said, “This clan comes from the Heavenly Realm and descended here via the Ancient Heavenly Ladder four thousand years ago. They block outsiders, preventing us from heading to the Heavenly Realm because every hundred years, their clan leader leads them to travel up the waterfall. During a two-month safety period, they harvest Xunyang fruits, Purple Soul Crystals, and Dragon’s Saliva.”

“Kunlun Mountain ruins?” Li Hui suddenly asked, “Is it Eastern Kunlun or Western Kunlun?”

“Western Kunlun,” Tianzhu replied, puzzled. The master seemed quite familiar with the Heavenly Realm.

Tianyi added, “Xunyang fruits can neutralize the damage caused by dark energy to the body, Purple Soul Crystals can alter one’s constitution, and Dragon’s Saliva is incredibly rare. Not only does it extend lifespan, but it also helps surpass cultivation obstacles. This elder has dozens of drops stored in his staff, but due to his low cultivation, he cannot use them.”

Li Hui sighed, “So it’s Western Kunlun. If it were Eastern Kunlun, the journey would be shorter.”

Owning Mufeng City, they were not lacking Xunyang fruits or Purple Soul Crystals. Dragon’s Saliva was the rare item. He decided to give each Profound Law Stage Practitioner in his crew a drop from the staff; if needed, he would give more.

Li Hui was fair in his dealings. These practitioners had committed no wrongdoing, so he took the Dragon’s Saliva while leaving behind a spirit-refining technique. They needed it most, and once their cultivation improved, would it not be easy to collect Dragon’s Saliva again?

“Now, let’s ascend the Heavenly Ladder and enter the Divine Realm.”

The team arrived at the base of the waterfall. Li Hui extracted Pure Yang energy to form the Yin and Yang energies, seizing the fleeting moment of the chaotic energy’s support to soar upwards…