Chapter 865: Escape

VIP Volume Six: Heavenly Spirit Treasures

Ningzhou, an unremarkable small province in Dongyu Nation, Tainan, is situated right next to Changzhou, where the Fallen Devil Valley is located.

Unlike Changzhou's vast and dense mountain ranges, Ningzhou is characterized by barren yellow hills and sparse trees and rivers. Consequently, very few cultivators reside in this province. Only a few small cultivation families occupy the province's limited and inferior spirit veins, living freely without competition.

To the southwest of Ningzhou lies a mountain range known as Mount Linglin. It is one of the province's few spirit vein locations.

Mount Linglin is not particularly small, spanning over a hundred li. However, its spirit veins only extend for a mere dozen li. Only the main peak of Mount Linglin and two nearby small hills are barely suitable for cultivators to meditate and practice. Despite this confined area, one large and two small cultivation families reside there simultaneously, each occupying one of the three peaks.

The Huang, Li, and Wang families, forced to settle in the spirit-energy-depleted region of Ningzhou, are naturally all minor, unremarkable families. Even the strongest among them, the Huang family, possesses only two Foundation Establishment cultivators, let alone any Core Formation cultivators. The remaining disciples are mostly low-level Qi Condensation practitioners, predominantly at the third or fourth layers. Furthermore, all three families have thousands of members without spiritual roots, who are compelled to live in the outer areas of Mount Linglin.

Despite their close proximity, the three families coexist without major incidents, and their relations are generally cordial. Over the past century, their disciples have even frequently intermarried, forming strong familial ties. The root of this harmony, despite Mount Linglin's unremarkable spirit vein quality, is a shared, mysterious spiritual spring located at the summit of the main peak.

While not a rare Spirit Eye Spring, this spiritual spring is nevertheless a mystical object with miraculous effects.

When used to steep spirit tea, combined with certain spiritual herbs, its water can, to some extent, cleanse the marrow and transform the tendons of low-level Qi Condensation disciples below the fifth or sixth layer, greatly benefiting their future cultivation. This is a primary reason why the three families, despite knowing this isn't an ideal cultivation location, stubbornly choose to remain.

However, despite its extraordinary effects, this spiritual spring cannot be used year-round. Instead, it only emerges from underground for a few fixed days each year, and the amount of spring water each time is pitifully small, insufficient for the three families to share.

Consequently, after discussions among the elders of the three families early on, they collectively decided to seal off the spiritual spring. It is only unsealed once every ten years.

The amount of spring water accumulated over ten years is perfectly sufficient for one-time use by all three families. And every ten years also coincides with the emergence of new disciples in the three families, preventing any waste or extravagance of the spiritual spring. This effectively binds them together in common guardianship, as they collectively guard it and open it every ten years for their young disciples to consume for marrow cleansing and tendon transformation.

On this particular day, a grand spring-opening ceremony was taking place atop the main peak of Mount Linglin.

In front of a hundred-zhang-high black mountain wall, dozens of disciples from the three families stood in several rows, their faces alight with excitement as they watched the proceedings.

The oldest among these disciples were no more than sixteen or seventeen, while the youngest were only eleven or twelve. Their cultivation levels were mostly around the third or fourth layer of Qi Condensation, with many still at the first or second layer.

At the very front of the crowd stood over a dozen much older cultivators, all at Qi Condensation Layer Ten or above. Among them, three elders had even advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage: one was at the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and two were at the Early-Foundation Establishment stage.

These dozen or so high-level cultivators stood before the stone wall, each holding a magical artifact, continuously chanting incantations as they performed the ritual to remove the formation's restrictions.

Adhering to the tall stone wall opposite were seven or eight restriction talismans of various sizes and colors, flickering with intermittent spiritual light.

At this moment, led by the three elders, the chanting of the dozen cultivators grew louder and more urgent. Simultaneously, the white light emanating from the magical banners in the elders' hands intensified.

A moment later, the three elders almost simultaneously raised a hand and cast a magic art. It transformed into a shimmering light that swept across.

The talismans on the stone wall, affected by the magic art, floated downwards. At this, several disciples who had been waiting, holding jade boxes, quickly rushed forward, carefully picked up each spiritual talisman, placed them into their boxes, and immediately retreated.

For small families like theirs, these restriction talismans were rare treasures not to be lost.

With the talismans removed, the stone wall emitted a white spiritual light and began to tremble gently.

Immediately, the cultivators at the front, including the three elders, simultaneously raised their magical banners. Thin, multicolored strands of light shot forth from the tips of the banners. They vanished into the white light.

The stone wall's shaking intensified. Then, amidst an earth-shaking roar, the stone wall gradually split apart from the middle, revealing a large, semi-circular opening about ten zhang wide in the center.

All the young disciples from the three families behind them widened their eyes, eagerly scrutinizing the scene within the opening.

It was well known that this spiritual spring was considered a priceless treasure by the three families; ordinary family disciples might only get one chance in their entire lives to witness it firsthand. Naturally, no one wanted to miss anything. In fact, even three-year-old children in the families could describe the true appearance of this spiritual spring clearly.

A three-zhang-long, one-zhang-wide pool, built from pure white jade, lay deep within the opening, about ten zhang in. At a glance, only a small portion of the jade pool contained clear, transparent spring water. It appeared utterly pure and unsullied.

What made it even more extraordinary was an indescribable clear fragrance subtly emanating from the pool water, which, upon smelling, left one feeling completely refreshed and invigorated.

The young disciples stirred, and the central, clean-shaven elder among the three suddenly turned around, his eyes flashing with sharp light as he swept his gaze across the crowd.

Immediately, all commotion ceased.

This elder was Huang Yuanming, an elder of the Huang family, whose cultivation had reached the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage. He was considered the true foremost cultivator of Mount Linglin.

Not only did the disciples of the Huang family hold him in awe, but even the young disciples of the Wang and Li families showed him extraordinary respect.

“Haha! Brother Huang’s prestige is truly effective. He can make these youngsters obedient,” another grey-robed elder remarked, his eyes narrowing with a smile, upon seeing this scene.

“Of course. Brother Huang’s cultivation has surely reached the late-Mid Foundation Establishment stage, hasn’t it? Perhaps he can even advance further, entering the late Foundation Establishment stage?” another blue-robed elder said with extreme envy.

“You two juniors jest,” Huang Yuanming chuckled. “I’m already this old. How could I possibly advance further? Such opportunities are only for the younger generation. Let’s quickly prepare the spiritual tea for these youngsters to consume. It seems there’s more spring water in the pool this time than in previous years, which is a good thing.” After Huang Yuanming’s chuckle, the other two elders were, naturally, the Foundation Establishment elders of the other two families.

These two families were even weaker than the Huang family, barely managing to cultivate one Foundation Establishment cultivator each to maintain appearances. Huang Yuanming and these two had been close friends for many years, so he paid no mind to their previous remarks.

The other two elders also smiled slightly, dropped the subject, and turned to instruct their respective families’ secret disciples responsible for preparing spiritual tea to come forward and begin immediately.

Immediately, two disciples from each family stepped forward and headed directly for the pool. But just as they were about to reach the spirit pool, under the gaze of everyone present, a shocking accident suddenly occurred.

Just three or four zhang above the pool, a low rumble of thunder suddenly echoed. After several flashes of five-colored light, a pitch-black orb instantly appeared out of thin air.

Then, this black orb, emitting an eerie ‘zzzz’ sound, began to twist and deform, transforming into a space crack about a zhang long.

Immediately after, with a ‘plop,’ and to the stunned gazes of the cultivators, a figure was swept out by a five-colored light and thrown into the jade pool below.

The space crack then flashed wildly a few times before vanishing without a trace.

As soon as the figure fell into the pool, a soft ‘eh?’ escaped their lips, and they steadied themselves, standing upright. After glancing at the cultivators gathered before the pool, a peculiar expression appeared on their face.

The cultivators from the three families, led by Huang Yuanming, were speechless.

The figure was a young man in a blue scholarly robe. Seeing so many cultivators where he had emerged, he was slightly surprised, and a hint of awkwardness flashed across his face, but he quickly regained his composure.

With a flash of blue light from his body, the water on his scholarly robe in the pool instantly evaporated, leaving it remarkably dry.

“Where is this place? Is this still Dongyu Nation?” the man asked casually, lifting his foot and floating out of the pool. He then turned his gaze and easily located Huang Yuanming, the cultivator with the deepest cultivation present, and asked calmly. His tone carried an undeniable authority.

“This is Ningzhou, in Dongyu Nation. May I inquire about your esteemed name, Senior?” Huang Yuanming had already scanned the young man's cultivation with his divine sense, and his heart was greatly shaken, as he couldn't discern the slightest depth of the other party's cultivation. This indicated that the other party was at least a Core Formation cultivator. Given the extremely strange circumstances of his appearance, Huang Yuanming naturally dared not show the slightest disrespect. After bowing deeply, he replied with extreme caution.

The other two elders also sensed the unfathomable depth of Han Li's cultivation, and utterly shocked, they too bowed deeply, their faces filled with deferential smiles.

“Ningzhou…” The young man blinked, his expression unchanged, but he murmured the name again, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.

This person was, of course, Han Li, who had just escaped from the ruins of the Spirit Illusory Garden. By this time, a full twenty-seven years had passed since the Battle of Fallen Devil Valley.