Chapter 2289: Linghuan Jade Realm

The Mortal Realm

An azure void stretched above and below.Without sun or moon.

Mist and clouds cascaded down from above, spreading through the void, weaving a thousand layers of veils. Suddenly, a landmass emerged from the mist. On it were mountains and water, and mist as thin as gauze rose from the lake, winding around the mountains and merging into the clouds.

Verdant bamboo groves, moss-covered stone paths, deep caves, and rock pools...

The sound of flowing clouds and mist, and the murmur of streams, were the loudest sounds here, yet they only added to the tranquility of the place.

This scenery seemed to have existed for countless years, unchanging and devoid of human trace.

The place was not uninhabited; someone resided within a rock cave, having lived there for two hundred years, never seen to step out even half a step.

"It's time to leave..."

After an unknown period of silence, a faint, almost imperceptible sound echoed within the rock cave.

On the cold stone couch, Qin Sang slowly awoke, rose, descended the stone steps, and pushed open the stone door of the cave, seeing a thick layer of fallen leaves piled at the entrance.

To the left of the cave entrance, dried leaves had accumulated to a man's height. Qin Sang looked at the pile of leaves, gently swept his sleeve, and as the dry leaves scattered, they revealed the Thunder Beast Battle Guard beneath.

Qin Sang had been in seclusion in the cave for two hundred years, and the Thunder Beast Battle Guard had stood guard at the entrance for the same period. Year after year, even buried under fallen leaves, it never complained.

"It's time to go back, old fellow," Qin Sang thought, summoning the Thunder Beast Battle Guard into his spatial artifact and looking around.

Compared to two hundred years ago, the scenery had barely changed. Between the empty clouds and sky, only this solitary landmass floated.

This was the Linghuan Jade Realm!

Back then, Qin Sang had secured a favorable position on Mount Shen and received a reward from a powerful expert of the Exotic Human race: the Linghuan Key.

It was said that the Linghuan Jade Realm was a treasure land opened up by an ancient sage of the Exotic Human race, a sacred place for cultivation where one could achieve twice the results with half the effort. After the dream seeds appeared, the dream realm faded, and the sacred land trial ended, Qin Sang used the Linghuan Key to enter the Linghuan Jade Realm for secluded cultivation.

Although the Linghuan Jade Realm was a sacred cultivation ground, its effects varied from person to person. Some might stay for decades or even a century, gaining much, while others were forced to leave after three to five years. Qin Sang, however, lasted a full two hundred years.

He had previously guessed that others' inability to remain was due to external attacks or some impact on their mental state. Confident in the protection of the Jade Buddha and the guardianship of the Thunder Beast Battle Guard, he had no fear.

Unexpectedly, in the Linghuan Jade Realm, threats and benefits coexisted. The Linghuan Jade Realm allowed cultivators to progress faster, like a giant hand pushing them forward. The problem was that once inside, this hand wouldn't stop. If a cultivator couldn't keep up with the 'hand's' speed—for instance, encountering a bottleneck and failing to overcome it quickly—they would be eliminated; otherwise, they could persevere longer.

Qin Sang, to protect Qingyang Prefecture, had annihilated the Siyou army, slaying King Lu and the Grand Offering Master. He had already gained some understanding of the Great Dao, but what he lacked was cultivation. In the Linghuan Jade Realm, he felt like a fish in water, cultivating in one go to the peak of the mid-12th layer of the *Ziwei Sword Scripture* and touching the threshold of a new realm.

Perhaps his previous accumulations were substantial enough, or perhaps the mysterious power bestowed by the demonic shadow had not been exhausted and was still active; Qin Sang ultimately broke through the barrier in one fell swoop, achieving another breakthrough!

Knowing that his accumulated resources were exhausted and that significant progress would be impossible, Qin Sang stopped cultivating, taking the opportunity to solidify the foundations of both the *Ziwei Sword Scripture* and the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form*. Feeling he had reached his limit, he emerged from seclusion today to leave the Linghuan Jade Realm.

Now, he had achieved late Void Refinement stage in both Dao cultivation and body refining!

Only a little over two hundred years had passed since the Yuanqiao Dharma Assembly. Qin Sang at that time could never have imagined that he could achieve such progress in such a short period; thinking of it, it felt as if he were still dreaming.

"Dream realm..."

Qin Sang couldn't help but recall his journey to the dream realm two hundred years ago, and the mysterious Azure Luan that flew into the flames like a moth.

Whenever he thought of Jun Yang, Qin Sang would feel regret for him, and deep admiration.

Upon closer thought, that dream realm still concealed many unknown secrets. For instance, whose dream realm was it truly? And why were the beings within the dream realm able to see through its true nature?

And the experiences of Qin Sang and Liuli in the dream realm...

All indications showed that the Spring and Autumn Sundial must be the 'mastermind' behind it all. According to some legends related to the Spring and Autumn Sundial, this treasure must have given birth to a spirit, but its reasons for such arrangements were unfathomable, and there even seemed to be some contradictions.

"'The *Plain Questions Scripture* was specifically left on Mount Yuji by the Spring and Autumn Sundial. All indications showed that among the several Daoist sect inheritors who entered the dream realm, only Liuli and I entered Yuanjing Mountain. But why me? Was it because of my identity as the Five Thunder Courtyard Envoy of the Dao Court, or was it related to the Yin-Yang chess pieces?'"

Both were Daoist sects, but one was the Talisman School, and the other the Elixir Cauldron School. The Spring and Autumn Sundial was a treasure of the Supreme Ancestor; could it also be connected to the Dao Court?

Qin Sang looked down at his palm and saw two streams of qi, one black and one white, slowly emerge, rotating around each other, faintly revealing two chess pieces within the qi streams, like two fish.

During the two hundred years in the Linghuan Jade Realm, Qin Sang had focused solely on cultivation, without time to comprehend the Dao of Yin-Yang and the black and white chess pieces. However, thanks to the accumulation from the dream realm, after emerging, Qin Sang discovered that the black and white chess pieces had gained a hint of nimbleness.

Qin Sang had once been in the Sun and Moon Hall, using the power of the Spring and Autumn Sundial to comprehend the Yin-Yang chess pieces and achieving some results. Could it have been then that he attracted the Spring and Autumn Sundial's attention?

Unfortunately, Liuli wasn't here; otherwise, he could consult the spirit of the Spring and Autumn Sundial.

Speaking of which, he and Liuli hadn't seen each other for two hundred years.

After Jun Yang sacrificed himself for the Dao, True Lord Ning and an old Daoist appeared in the Heart Lake. Qin Sang and Liuli barely exchanged a few words before Liuli was taken away by them.

According to True Lord Ning's explanation, the emergence of the Spring and Autumn Sundial had alarmed all the Supreme Daoist lineages. The matter was of great importance, and the Supreme Daoist lineages would surely gather because of it.

The Spring and Autumn Sundial held extraordinary significance for the Supreme Daoist lineages. The Sundial seemed to have chosen Liuli; even if the descendants of the Supreme Daoist lineages dared not defy its will, it was bound to cause a huge stir.

Liuli gaining the Spring and Autumn Sundial's recognition naturally made Qin Sang happy for her. Though he harbored some worries, he was powerless to help. Even with his greatly increased strength, he was still insignificant before the Supreme Daoist lineages, like a firefly compared to a bright moon. He couldn't help Liuli, and certainly couldn't hold her back.

In any case, the Spring and Autumn Sundial choosing Liuli was absolutely a tremendous stroke of fortune!

"She should have found her answer in her heart."

Qin Sang smiled.

He knew well that Liuli had most feared that her feelings didn't originate from her heart but were influenced by the evil cultivation technique, which was why she had repeatedly rejected his goodwill. Even if she later decided to open her heart, a shadow would surely remain within her.

After the journey to the dream realm, this shadow should have dissipated.

Just then, Qin Sang felt an invisible pressure assailing him from all directions, wave after wave, ceaselessly. The seemingly ethereal clouds and mist around him now surprisingly exhibited immense power, continuously pushing him, as if to expel him from the place.

Qin Sang knew the Linghuan Jade Realm was beginning to expel him. He no longer lingered, activating his escape light and flying towards the entrance. Along the way, Qin Sang continued to perceive his own body, examining the changes that had occurred within him over the past two hundred years.

Apart from the improvements in his cultivation, what concerned Qin Sang the most was that he now possessed his own Azure Luan Demonic Thunder!

After leaving the dream realm, when Qin Sang resumed cultivating the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form*, his perception was completely different from before.

Previously, Qin Sang only regarded this technique as a means of body refining. The First Sword Attendant had once warned him that the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* harbored hidden dangers, but as Qin Sang never found a better replacement, he continued to cultivate it until now. Since he was not a demon race member and did not wish to integrate his vital essence and blood into a Dharma Idol, after reaching the mid-sixth layer, he gradually felt that cultivation was no longer as smooth.

Now, however, it was different. He had actually cultivated his own Azure Luan Demonic Thunder. Only true Azure Luans could cultivate Azure Luan Demonic Thunder in this world; had he become an Azure Luan?

This was clearly impossible. It was probably related to the Azure Luan race's sacred object that he refined in the illusion. That object could actually affect reality, its origin was unknown. He recalled that when he claimed to be able to refine the Azure Luan race's sacred object, Senior Jun Yang had appeared very shocked, indicating that even true Azure Luans would likely find it difficult to do so.

The occurrence of this change, its future implications were unknown, but at least for now, there were no apparent drawbacks.

Using the Azure Luan Demonic Thunder as a guide, he could better utilize the power of the Azure Luan True Thunder, and cultivating the demonic art *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* would become incredibly smooth. There was even a possibility that he too could, like the great experts of the demon race, choose the path of demonic soul possessing a star when breaking through to the Body Integration stage!

Transforming into a demonic star, residing in the galaxy, high above, overlooking the world.

The great divine ability Senior Jun Yang had performed through him was still fresh in Qin Sang's memory.

When Qin Sang thought of the First Sword Attendant's reminder, he suppressed this stirring feeling. Besides, there was another matter worth pondering: Why was there no mention of demonic stars in the current era? Where had they all gone?

Even if he didn't want to take the path of demonic soul possessing a star, it didn't prevent him from cultivating the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* to the peak of the sixth layer, possessing powerful combat strength with just his physical body.

Apart from Qin Sang himself, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly also made considerable progress in these two hundred years, but still couldn't compare to its master, remaining some distance from breaking through to the late Sixth Transformation.

However, some matters needed to be put on the agenda and addressed as soon as possible.

Qin Sang was now preparing to attempt a breakthrough to the Body Integration stage. The two dream seeds were the first supreme treasures he had obtained, but he wouldn't stop there, even though such supreme treasures were rarely seen in the world.

Now there was a method before him: at the time of breakthrough, if he could elevate the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to the peak of the Sixth Transformation, or even breakthrough to the Seventh Transformation, it could also provide powerful assistance to him.

He still remembered Ghost Mother mentioning that she had once seen a Seven-Transformation Heavenly Eye Butterfly named Void Butterfly, and she had promised that after returning to the Great Thousand World, she would help him gather methods for nurturing the Void Butterfly.

"It seems it's time to visit Ghost Mother among the Witch Clan," Qin Sang mused inwardly.

Before departing, he needed to make some preparations, arrange the personnel matters of Qingyang Prefecture, and certainly make a trip to Ziyun Mountain.

Pondering these matters, Qin Sang arrived near the entrance of the Linghuan Jade Realm, and the Linghuan Key in his palm gradually faded.

Back then, he had been drawn in by activating the Linghuan Key. Now that the Linghuan Key had vanished, Qin Sang felt himself flung out by a force. When he recovered, he found the scenery very familiar: he had landed in the Yuanqiao Sea Market.

The Yuanqiao Sea Market had long been closed and was now empty.

During normal times, the Yuanqiao Sea Market sank deep into the River of Karma, with the ancient Qi of the Six Heavens howling around it, only vaguely revealing some nearby islands.

These islands themselves were protected by restrictive formations; the island Qin Sang was on blocked out the ancient Qi of the Six Heavens. Before him was a grand hall, from within which came the fluctuations of a teleportation array. Through this array, one could leave the Yuanqiao Sea Market.

Qin Sang stepped into the grand hall and activated the teleportation array.

The Zhuyan Clan.

The Teleportation Hall.

The Zhuyan Clan cultivator guarding the hall saw the grand array burst with spiritual light, revealing a human figure.

This Zhuyan Clan cultivator felt the person looked somewhat familiar. He scratched the back of his head, then his eyes lit up. "Are you True Lord Qin?"

"Indeed, it is I," Qin Sang nodded.

Most Zhuyan Clan members were unruly, but this person behaved courteously and respectfully before Qin Sang. "Please wait a moment, True Lord Qin," he said. "Elder Yuan Miao had given instructions to immediately report to the higher-ups upon seeing True Lord Qin."

The person sent out a sound transmission talisman. Not long after, a hearty laugh was heard approaching from afar.

"The Clan Chief once said that True Lord Qin shone brilliantly in the sacred land, greatly dampening the prestige of the Feathered Humans and Mermen. Tell me quickly... huh?"

Yuan Miao arrived, breaking through the air, and upon seeing Qin Sang, his face showed shock.

Qin Sang had not deliberately concealed his aura, nor did he offer many explanations. He asked with a smile, "Long time no see, fellow Daoist; your demeanor remains as ever. Is Clan Chief Yuan Xiang within the clan?"

Yuan Miao suppressed the shock in his heart and said, "After the Clan Chief returned, he entered prolonged seclusion and rarely ventured out. However, the Clan Chief once said that once True Lord Qin returned, he would pay a visit after emerging from seclusion."

"Oh? Then I shall return to Qingyang Prefecture first," Qin Sang said. "It has been two hundred years since I last returned; I wonder how Qingyang Prefecture has developed..."

Qin Sang declined the Zhuyan Clan's kind invitation for a feast and flew out alongside Yuan Miao.

Along the way, Yuan Miao asked about Qin Sang's experiences in the sacred realm. Qin Sang chose to recount some of the events, which drew repeated exclamations of surprise from him.

Suddenly, Qin Sang's brows furrowed slightly. He halted and looked back.

Immediately, a streak of purple-gold light flew from the horizon, faster than lightning, with an imposing aura, heading straight towards them.

Yuan Miao gasped softly, "It's Yuan Ren! What is he doing here?"

He looked at Qin Sang with suspicious eyes. Yuan Ren was straightforward and never concealed his feelings; had the two of them formed some enmity in the sacred land?

Whoosh!

Yuan Ren landed in front of Qin Sang, holding a purple-gold staff, with an unfriendly gaze.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan Ren!"

Qin Sang bowed respectfully, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on subduing the demonic shadow and descending Mount Shen!"

Back then, Yuan Ren had been continuously worn down by the dream realm and was helplessly taken over by the demonic shadow, trapped on Mount Shen. Since he was here now, and his aura was even stronger than before, it meant the demonic shadow had long been annihilated.

Judging by his expression, he already knew what had happened in the dream realm.

"Hmph!"

Yuan Ren pointed his long staff directly at Qin Sang and said impolitely, "True Lord Qin, regarding the sacred land, it was my inferiority in skill, and the Clan Chief also gained benefits because of you. I shouldn't hold a grudge against you. But if I don't have a match with you, my thoughts won't be clear. Fight me, and all past grievances will be wiped clean!"

"Good!"

Qin Sang gave Yuan Ren a profound look, readily agreed, and immediately transformed into a streak of azure lightning, soaring into the sky.

Yuan Ren showed an excited expression, twirled his staff, and followed closely.