Chapter 283: True Purpose

The ancestral statue of Bhagala Buddha holds a scepter, rides a giant elephant, and has trails of stars above its head. The ancestral statue is imposing and has existed for tens of thousands of years.

At this moment, Li Weiyi could finally confirm that he had entered another spatial region. After all, the ancestral statue was hundreds of meters tall, while the ground fissure entrance was only a hundred meters underground.

Inside the main hall was the "Sculpture Group of Myriad Spirits Pilgrimage." Over a hundred passages lay behind the sculptures. Some led up stone steps, some went straight ahead, and others descended underground. The underground immortal mansion was not flat.

The eighth path Tang Wanzhou had been exploring led to an upper level. It was two zhang wide, with smooth metal and stone structures on both sides. Murals, hanging lamps, and skeletons were occasionally visible, indicating that a great war had once erupted here in ancient times. After traveling a hundred li along this path, large sections of the passage had collapsed, forming cliffs. Below the cliffs, dark red magma flowed slowly, emitting heat. It was difficult to imagine whether the lower levels would be affected.

Everyone present had high cultivation levels. They enveloped their mounts in mystic energy and quickly leaped across. The deeper they went, the more complex the passages became. There were numerous branching paths, like a maze. Li Weiyi continuously memorized and marked the routes. Far behind the thirty-eight riders, many martial cultivators followed. Possessing both strength and courage, they intended to profit from the chaotic situation.

After advancing two hundred li, the terrain of the underground immortal mansion diversified. It was no longer just narrow, crowded passages; caves, plains, stone mountains, and rivers appeared. After traveling for a day and a night, Li Weiyi's internal injuries had recovered by sixty to seventy percent. Simultaneously, he had fully absorbed the Starday Pill he swallowed upon entering the underground passage. His psionic star had grown by nearly half, and he felt full of energy. Instead of being tense and depressed due to the perilous situation, he felt extremely excited.

At this moment, they had penetrated over three hundred li into the underground immortal mansion. Ahead, a plain tens of li wide appeared. The soil was hard, and the ground was covered with many thorny luminous plants, faintly illuminating the darkness. The entire space was hazy. Li Weiyi looked up. He could not see the top, only endless darkness. Everyone on their mounts became vigilant, losing all sense of relaxation. Some of the martial cultivators had already summoned their mystic weapons and activated the runes on their armor.

Tuoba Butuo whispered, "This is the furthest I've ever been. It's said to be a cultivation ground from the peak of the ancient Bhagala Sect, now called the Nether Spirit Plain by explorers and marked on high-priced maps."

"Whoosh!" From the dark thorn bushes came dense sounds of movement. Then, a cloud of miasma rose, surging rapidly towards Snow Sword Tang Ting's thirty-eight riders. Each mount sensed the danger and let out agitated roars.

Using his Psionic Celestial Scripture, Li Weiyi sensed dense swarms of flying insects in the miasma, too numerous to count. They resembled mosquitoes, but were fist-sized and buzzed loudly.

"Be alert! It's a swarm of Bone-Corroding Miasma Mosquitoes!" an old man at the Dao Seed realm in the team shouted.

"Boom!" A mystic energy palm print was projected through the air, shaking it and momentarily scattering the swarm. However, the insects quickly reassembled, pressing down overwhelmingly.

Li Weiyi had read some "Compendiums of Ferocious Insects" and had some understanding of Bone-Corroding Miasma Mosquitoes. They were extremely terrifying general-level ferocious insects, capable of draining the blood from all living creatures in a city within a short time. Encountering them could push even Dao Seed realm martial cultivators into desperate straits, leaving no trace of their remains. The Bone-Corroding Miasma Mosquitoes before them were much larger than described in the texts and showed many mutated characteristics.

The middle-aged woman from the Wanyan clan was the first to act, releasing two commander-level rare insects called "Seven-Colored Fireflies." The two firefly-like rare insects, enveloped in seven-colored flames, charged into the miasma. Immediately, the Bone-Corroding Miasma Mosquitoes in the smoke were continuously incinerated into fireballs, falling to the ground. Moments later, the swarm of Bone-Corroding Miasma Mosquitoes fled, vanishing into the darkness. The two firefly-like rare insects flew back and were collected by the Wanyan woman into her insect pouch.

"How formidable the Seven-Colored Fireflies are! Commander-level rare insects truly have a bloodline advantage against these ferocious insect swarms."

"Madam Wanyan's two Seven-Colored Fireflies have combat power comparable to two Dao Lotus martial cultivators."

"Fortunately, we have an insect master with us. Otherwise, just this swarm of Bone-Corroding Miasma Mosquitoes would have given us a headache for a while."

Li Weiyi had been observing the two Seven-Colored Fireflies. They were indeed powerful, having reached the peak state for commander-level rare insects, easily capable of repelling a swarm of general-level ferocious insects.

The Nether Spirit Plain was quite dangerous. Subsequently, they encountered two swarms of soldier-level ferocious insects and another swarm of general-level ferocious insects, all of which were repelled by Madam Wanyan and Old Man Shanze's insect manipulation. Li Weiyi did not have the opportunity to release his seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors.

After crossing the plain, the number of martial cultivators still following the thirty-eight riders had dwindled significantly. Ahead, a steep stone wall, dozens of zhang high, appeared. Ancient patterns and texts were etched onto the stone wall, their lines and characters emitting a white luminescence.

Li Weiyi and Tuoba Butuo closely followed Tang Wanzhou, climbing this section of the stone wall. Above, there were more stone walls, layered one upon another, as if artificially constructed. Tang Wanzhou finally stopped, sitting on the back of his Three-tailed Snow Fox, his expression extremely serious as he looked at the riders behind him: "Only a handful of martial cultivators are able to pass through the Nether Spirit Plain and reach this place."

"This is the location of the ancient Bhagala Sect's Starfire Altar, four hundred li from the main hall at the entrance of the underground immortal mansion."

"I told you that once we delved deeper into the underground immortal mansion, I would reveal the true purpose of this journey. Now, the time has come!"

From the back of the team, a martial cultivator of a mutated human species with an ape head and a powerful aura asked, "Is the Young Lord being so cautious because you fear that disclosing the information early would lead to a leak?"

Tang Wanzhou scanned everyone present, his gaze deep and sharp, his tone cold: "All thirty-eight riders on this journey are top-tier masters; your strength is beyond doubt. However, what we are about to do is of immense importance, not merely for a thousand-year spirit medicine or a Daoist scripture. I have no choice but to be cautious, and I hope for your understanding."

Old Man Shanze asked, "Is the major matter the Young Lord spoke of related to this Starfire Altar?"

"Indeed. Everyone, follow me!"

Each layer of this ancient Starfire Altar was dozens of zhang high, with smooth cliff faces, making it relatively easy to climb only for Dao Seed realm martial cultivators. Most of the mounts were left below the altar. Tang Wanzhou ascended to the fourth layer of the altar, dismounted his Three-tailed Snow Fox, walked forward, searched for a moment, then struck out with a palm, hitting a section of the stone wall where a pattern was broken.

"Boom!" A stone door, about a zhang high, opened in response. Carrying a stone lamp that emitted a cyan glow, she walked at the forefront, her footsteps echoing in the passage.

"Li Weiyi, I accidentally found that fragment of the Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone inside this altar."

"Thank you for the reminder, Young Lord."

Li Weiyi secretly observed the various patterns and texts on the stone wall, releasing his Psionic Heaven and Earth Scripture to investigate every area they passed through. If he could find another fragment of the Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone, combined with the Starday Pill, he was confident he could break through to a two-star Spirit Reader within a short time.

They arrived at the core area inside the altar. All the martial cultivators exclaimed in surprise, gathering around Tang Wanzhou. They looked at a stone wall dozens of zhang high. Many carved illustrations on the wall depicted an ancient story.

"Is that... that's Bhagala Buddha?" Tuoba Butuo pointed to a figure in the mural, which bore a striking resemblance to the ancestral statue of Bhagala Buddha in the main hall at the entrance.

In the mural, Bhagala Buddha held a scepter, his hands raised high as countless stars fell from above, carving luminous trails like a meteor shower, striking the ground and raising vast amounts of dust.

Tang Wanzhou stopped below the mural and said solemnly, "A month ago, I stumbled upon this place by chance and saw these exquisite murals, but I couldn't understand what some of the content represented. So, I made a trip to Zuoqiu Sect and consulted all the ancient texts about the Bhagala Sect, finally understanding the murals completely."

"The first mural depicts an ancient era when Bhagala Buddha witnessed a catastrophic event: the falling of star-rain."

"That starfall catastrophe caused the death of countless beings on the earth. Mountains collapsed, rivers changed course, and dust covered the sky, blocking out sunlight for several years."

"The second mural shows Bhagala Buddha saving lives and healing the injured amidst the disaster. He founded the Bhagala Sect, collected the stars that fell from beyond the heavens, and analyzed their mysterious energy."

Li Weiyi's gaze fell on the second mural. He saw Bhagala Buddha seated high on a lotus platform, with countless believers below him. Dozens of stars, emitting brilliant radiance, stood behind him like towering mountains. Li Weiyi secretly wondered if the Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone was one of them.

Tang Wanzhou walked beneath the third mural: "This one depicts Bhagala Buddha refining dozens of stars into a book called 'The Book of Luminous Stars,' also known as 'The Bhagala Sutra.' Each star became a page of the luminous scripture, totaling forty-two pages."

"Bhagala Buddha poured his life's efforts into writing characters imbued with supreme mystic power into the book. Afterward, the elder attained Buddhahood and left this land."

"With 'The Book of Luminous Stars' in existence, the power of light would eternally illuminate the Bhagala Sect, protecting its ancestral grounds from all evil."

Tang Wanzhou moved to the fourth mural: "This one tells of what happened many years after Bhagala Buddha departed. A radical sect leader emerged within the sect. Wielding 'The Book of Luminous Stars,' he waged war on the Nether Realm of the Deceased, continuously expanding the territory of the living."

"What? There's a treasure in the world that can dispel the dark and eerie power of the Nether Realm of the Deceased?" Wanyan Shenxing, whose combat power ranked among the top three in the team, said incredulously.

The Nether Realm of the Deceased, like a forbidden zone of life, enveloped the entire Lingxiao Living Realm, boundless and endless. Dao Seed realm martial cultivators already stood at the pinnacle of the mortal world, capable of initially comprehending the truth and fundamental nature of this world. The more they understood, the more suppressed they felt.

In the catastrophe a thousand years ago, over ninety percent of Lingxiao's three hundred prefectures were swallowed. Those who survived lived in fear day and night.

"The deathly power of the Nether Realm can obscure all sunlight, transform all living beings into departed spirits, breed evil creatures, resurrect the undead, unleash curses and monsters, and cause all life forms to wither." An elderly Spirit Reader recited this.

Tuoba Butuo was exceptionally excited, his spirits soaring: "If 'The Book of Luminous Stars' truly exists, we will have the chance to reclaim the more than two hundred prefectures swallowed by the Nether Realm of the Deceased. Each prefecture reclaimed means thousands of li of territory, infinite resources, endless fertile land, followed by population migration, desolate villages transforming into bustling market towns, and the deathly nether-lands turning into lush, flourishing forests."

"At that time, we would have minerals, land, and pastures in abundance, so why bother campaigning south and vying with the major human factions for the twenty-eight prefectures?"

"Let us push north into the Nether Realm of the Deceased, reclaim the living realm, and be enshrined in history, achieving immortality."

All the martial cultivators present felt their blood boil, their eyes burning with fervor. Li Weiyi remained calm, looking at Tang Wanzhou. She was extremely calm, with no ripples in her eyes, as she walked towards the fifth mural: "Unfortunately, this 'Book of Luminous Stars' was torn apart during an internal upheaval within the Bhagala Sect, transforming into individual pages of luminous scripture."

The mural depicted the "Book of Luminous Stars" scattering, each page of scripture flying off like a small sun. Everyone sighed in lament.

Li Weiyi looked at a corner of the mural, pondered for a moment, and said, "Look here! There's a small figure holding a page of luminous scripture, entering the depths of the Nether Realm of the Deceased. It instantly illuminated an area. Does this mean that as long as we find one page of the scripture, we can reclaim a portion of the living realm's land?"