Chapter 286

Chapter 286: Advertisement

Canglan Mountain Range.

A flash of white light illuminated the scene as Bai Muyue and several Emperor Venerables arrived before the Divine Ruins. Shockingly, there were even two true immortal level experts among them.

"Where is the Ancient Divine Court?" inquired one true immortal. He released his Divine Sense yet detected no trace of abnormality, nor any hint of heavenly punishment.

"Someone has placed a barrier, preventing us from entering the Divine Court ruins," Bai Muyue stated lightly. Strands of divine patterns wove through her eyes, her pupils turning snow-white. Through her vision, countless divine patterns manifested in the void, returning to their origin. With a single glance, she perceived the Divine Ruins. Gradually, the barrier materialized visibly before the entire group.

This Eye Technique seemed to hold the profound mystery of returning to its origin, restoring things to their true essence.

"Immortal King realm…" Bai Muyue murmured. Through analyzing this barrier, she deduced the cultivation level of the woman in simple robes. It appeared more like a warning, signaling that the one who erected this barrier was an Immortal King.

"How interesting." The corner of Bai Muyue’s lips lifted slightly. "The celestial transformation hasn’t even begun, yet the mortal realm already has Immortal King level experts. Perfect to test my skills."

Swoosh!

Suddenly, two streaks of light descended.

Li Ruoshui walked gracefully forward, with Dao King following closely behind.

Whoosh!

Instantly, the gazes of Bai Muyue and Li Ruoshui locked. Heaven and earth tremored violently as their auras clashed. The barrier set by the woman in simple robes instantly shattered into oblivion. The terrifying pressure forced every Emperor Venerable present to spit blood; even the true immortal experts felt overwhelming fear.

"Another Immortal King!" A trace of fear flashed in Dao King’s eyes.

He, Su Miaozhen, Emperor Venerable Mi Luo, and Emperor Venerable Yama had once claimed to be the invincible beings of the mortal realm. Now, that title seemed utterly laughable.

"Dao King, do you wish to oppose our Temple of Ten Thousand Paths?" One true immortal fixed a cold stare on Dao King, speaking icily, "Don’t mistake your mere attainment of immortality as qualification to challenge the Temple!"

A flicker of calculation crossed Dao King’s eyes as he smiled. "So it’s Palace Master of Tianyuan Palace, my Daoist brother. I hadn’t realized Brother had already attained immortality."

"Now you know," the Palace Master of Tianyuan Palace snorted coldly."We all seek the Divine Court ruins; no need for a fight to the death," Li Ruoshui said lightly. "The one who created the barrier is also an Immortal King. If we two quarrel, it only benefits that person."

"Well said," Bai Muyue replied with a faint smile.

"Wuyou, we go." Li Ruoshui took a step and surged into the Divine Ruins.

Without hesitation, Bai Muyue and the others followed, entering the Divine Court ruins one after another.

"Master," Ji Tianjue, hidden in the shadows alongside Han Daokong, asked with trepidation in his heart, "how have so many Immortal King powerhouses suddenly appeared in the mortal realm?"

Han Daokong, expression grave, replied, "Three Immortal Kings are now within the Ancient Divine Court ruins. For master and disciple such as ourselves, there is no need to enter further."

Ji Tianjue deeply agreed.

They had come seeking secrets and treasures, not to deliver themselves to death.

"Come with me to the Yuan Realm."

The two men turned and departed.

……

"Heavenly Talisman Old Man remarked, ‘The fourth heaven supposedly holds a Creation Garden dedicated to cultivating sacred and immortal medicines. It should still exist.’"

"’I actually wish to visit the Hall of Heavenly Craft,’ Nine Palaces Emperor Venerable expressed hopefully."

"He specialized in formations and artifact forging, making the Hall of Heavenly Craft his ideal destination."

"’Rest assured, we’ll head there soon,’ Gu Daojin chuckled. ‘We spent a fortune at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. It’s time we recouped those losses within the Ancient Divine Court.’"

"’Otherwise, we won’t even have the funds for future trades with Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.’"

"’Delicious!’"

"Yu Ziwei suddenly exclaimed."

“‘Indeed,’ Ye Xu nodded.”

"Strange, diverse fragrances began permeating the heavens and earth simultaneously, as if countless blossoms were blooming in fierce competition, each displaying their splendor."

"Swish!"

"A streak of purple light raced toward the source of the scent."

"Naturally, it was Gu Daojin."

"The others charged forward instantly, terrified Gu Daojin would strip the Creation Garden of every priceless treasure."

"Moments later, their eyes fell upon an immense medicinal garden ahead. Spanning over a hundred thousand miles in radius, it was neatly divided into eighteen distinct sections."

"The deeper one ventured, the more precious the contents became."

"Ye Xu observed profound visions rising from the garden’s depths—resembling the evolution of myriad realms—gloriously mysterious, resonating in harmony with the Great Dao of heaven and earth."

"’All mine! Hahaha!’"

"Gu Daojin surged his vital essence, sweeping his grand sleeve wide. In one swift motion, he harvested an entire section, sacred plants and all."

"Even the spirit-soil nurturing the sacred medicines wasn’t spared, essentially scraping the ground bare."

"Wherever he passed, he left nothing but barren land."

"A thought passed through Ye Xu’s mind. Tai Sui burst forth like Taotie reborn, opening its maw wide. With a thunderous inhalation that shook the air, sacred herbs and top-tier divine herbs alike vanished into its gullet."

"Ye Xu himself shot directly toward the garden’s deepest heart."

"The Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital proved clever too, wasting no time on the periphery and swiftly following Ye Xu."

"’Good disciple! Handle the outskirts for me! Your master’s heading deeper!’ Gu Daojin shouted back. Gathering speed, he instantly overtook Ye Xu and the others."

"Thud!"

"Suddenly, Gu Daojin cracked headlong into an invisible barrier, his face bruised and swelling."

"He froze, dazed for a full second, seemingly knocked senseless."

"’Dammit! Forgot,’ cursed Gu Daojin a breath later. ‘The deepest immortal medicines are shielded by a protection barrier.’"

"Boom!"

"Gu Daojin activated his secret art, clenching his fist. The Purple Ying Divine Fist exploded forth. Awesome imperial might radiated from him as an emperor’s illusion solidified in the void. His mighty fist struck the barrier’s weak point."

"Bang!"

"Striking precisely at its vulnerability, Gu Daojin shattered the barrier with a single blow. Immortal light immediately spilled forth like an unveiled paradise. Overwhelming fragrance washed over them, dazzling their eyes with the sight of countless immortal herbs."

"Nine Lives and Nine Deaths Grass!"

"Reincarnation Other Shore Flower!"

"Primordial Ginseng Fruit…"

Within the deepest part of Creation Garden, even the least valuable treasures were immortal herbs. Each one could incite madness across every realm if taken outside.

Ye Xu, Gu Daojin, and the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital struggled to contain their exhilaration. Dozens of immortal herbs here, if exchanged for Star Yuan, could fetch seven or eight hundred million.

If they could take all these immortal herbs, it would be enough to propel the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital straight into the True Immortal Realm.

"Take as much as we possibly can."

Gu Daojin swept his sleeves wide, unleashing his magical power to dismantle the protective wards.

Each immortal herb was guarded by a restrictive enchantment, requiring significant time to break.

"Brother, has someone breached the defenses?" Qin Fei Yan frowned. Sharp and perceptive, she caught the implication in Gu Daojin’s words.

Gu Daojin nodded.

"I left three divine arts guarding the Jade Pool. They were just shattered. Likely intruders. Breaking through my spells requires at least late-stage True Immortal Realm cultivation."

Gu Daojin said solemnly.

"But destroying all three of my wards in such a short time… probably not just one person. If it truly is a single individual…"

A chill ran through everyone. If it was one person, their strength would be on par with Gu Daojin or higher.

Ye Xu glanced at Gu Daojin in surprise.

His own worldly experience really was still too lacking.

Gu Daojin might seem reckless, but an appearance of roughness hid carefulness; Ye Xu hadn’t thought of deploying wards to monitor things himself.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Gu Daojin unleashed his full power. A torrent of immense magical energy surged out, simultaneously blasting towards nine separate wards.

The Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital and Ye Xu also attacked in unison, concentrating their efforts on dismantling the wards.

Gu Daojin’s dismantling speed far outstripped theirs.

He was, after all, a powerhouse at the peak of the True Immortal Realm. The wards within Creation Garden were merely immortal-grade, incapable of stopping an expert of his caliber.

Within a quarter of an hour, Gu Daojin shattered nine wards, collecting nine immortal herbs.

Ye Xu secured the Primordial Ginseng Fruit.

The Primordial Ginseng Fruit bloomed once every million years, and bore fruit only once every subsequent million years. Once the fruit ripened, it had to be harvested within a hundred years, or it would transform into nourishment, reabsorbed by the immortal tree.

"Heave! HA!"

Ye Xu’s body enlarged. His arms wrapped around the ginseng fruit tree trunk, and he slowly, laboriously began to uproot it.

"I never imagined you, my young friend, possessed such a spirited nature, haha…" Gu Daojin roared with laughter, recognizing a kindred spirit.

Half a cup of tea later, Ye Xu finally pulled the entire tree free and stuffed it into his Purple Palace.

Another half an hour passed. The group had harvested about half of the immortal herbs from the deepest part of Creation Garden. The magical power of the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital was depleted by sixty to seventy percent.

Both Ye Xu and Gu Daojin remained full of vigor, their magical energy seemingly inexhaustible.

Roar!

At this moment, the roar of Tai Sui suddenly erupted. Merely a few breaths later, the void of the Creation Garden shattered inch by inch. Tai Sui’s massive body crushed large swathes of the medicinal garden and crashed heavily in front of Ye Xu.

"Oh no, my disciple is still outside!"

At the critical moment, Gu Daojin finally remembered Yu Ziwei, and his expression changed with great change.

"Master, I’m here!"

From inside Tai Sui’s belly, Yu Ziwei’s voice came. She pried open Tai Sui’s mouth and crawled out, looking utterly disheveled.

She had sensed something wrong immediately and crawled into Tai Sui’s stomach, managing to survive.

Otherwise, the first to die would have been her.

"You’re really cunning," Gu Daojin praised. "As my personally trained disciple, you’re skilled at escaping."

Ye Xu furrowed his brows.

He was mentally connected to Tai Sui and knew Tai Sui was badly injured.

Tai Sui was a Primordial being, possessing traits of immortality and endless division. But after receiving this blow, Tai Sui endured great pain, and its combat power was severely impaired.

"The enemies are strong," Ye Xu said.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Above the void, endless divine patterns rolled down, transforming into layer upon layer of a thunder sea, and almost in an instant, enveloped the entire Creation Garden.

The woman in simple robes and ten true immortals slowly descended.

"Finally caught you."

Hall Master’s Elder gnashed his teeth, his killing intent exposed. "Mice! How dare you break into the Divine Court, making a mess? You truly deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

"They’re all true immortals!"

The expressions of the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital changed abruptly.

The eleven people before them were all experts of the Immortal Path Realm.

Where did so many true immortals emerge from?

"And there’s an Immortal King too."

Gu Daojin’s expression became incomparably grave as his gaze fixed on the woman in simple robes.

Among those ten true immortals, the strongest was only at the late stage of the True Immortal Realm. Gu Daojin didn’t fear them at all, but the woman in simple robes’ cultivation was at the Immortal King realm.

Those undying strongmen of the Dao and cultivators of the True Immortal Realm were on completely different levels.

"This palace is curious," said the woman in simple robes, staring at Gu Daojin. "With your strength, how did you ignore all the divine restrictions along the way as if unhindered? A cultivator at the peak of True Immortal Realm couldn’t achieve that."

"Soul-searching methods harm heaven’s harmony—this palace doesn’t want to use them."

"Reveal the cause, and this palace can grant you faster deaths."

"Kill us if you want to kill—there’s no way we’ll leak any information," Yu Ziwei declared fearlessly, her bearing iron-willed.

"It seems you’re an iron-willed man," the woman in simple robes said indifferently. "In that case, I’ll take you as the first to strike."

"I’ll speak!"

At that moment, a voice rang out.

The Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital, Gu Daojin, Yu Ziwei, and others all turned to look at Ye Xu in unison.

"Ahem, everyone, this isn’t a big secret—no harm in telling her," Ye Xu said with an awkward laugh.

This was a prime chance to openly advertise—he couldn’t miss it.

Ye Xu looked at the woman in simple robes and laughed, "Hold on—don’t hit yet."

"Speak."

The woman in simple robes restrained her magical power.

"You must have heard of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, Daoist friend?" Ye Xu said with a laugh.

"Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

The woman in simple robes slightly furrowed her delicate brows, gently shook her head, and showed a confused expression. "Haven’t heard of it."

"…"

Ye Xu was extremely embarrassed.

He had planned to show off his presence, but it was far too awkward.