After a long time, the five of them—of which, two were with injuries on their bodies—finally arrived at the private realm in Southern Heaven Region.
Qiong Hua's private realm was situated in a place with picturesque scenery—a floating island that was surrounded by mountains. And underneath the floating island was a ring.
A beautiful and magnificent ring.
Outside the ring was the mirror-like surface of the lake water. The water surface reflected the range upon range of green mountains that surrounded it as if it was a fairyland in the human world. However, at the edge of the ring, the situation rapidly changed, like it was neatly cut by a sharp blade. The terrain suddenly stumbled steep downward, the surface of the lake turned into a precipice, and the water fell down forming a ring-shaped waterfall.
After the water crashed down at the bottom, the powerful impact broke the water into mist. The mist under the floating island was so dense that it was like a giant steamer, and it was the steam that suspended the island in mid air.
However, compared to this majestic and magnificent natural scene, the fierce change of the surrounding spiritual energy deserved more attention. The island that floated on the circular waterfall had a strange pulling force, which caused the surrounding spiritual energy to become especially active. Moreover, it was not only the water element of spiritual energy that was active here, the rest of the four elements of the surrounding spiritual energy were also evenly distributed, mixing and mingling with each other, crushing all the energies, and forming a natural barrier.
If one were to perform a secret cultivation training here, there would be no need to worry that the magical power fluctuation would spread out. Nor should there be a worry that one would be disturbed by someone who would accidentally pass by, because outside the circular waterfall, the mirror-like surface of the lake concealed all the change, deflecting the attention of the outsiders. In short, unless one knew the place in advance, one would unconsciously have their attention away from the floating island! Moreover, the more brilliant the cultivation base of the cultivator, the more they relied on the grade of the surrounding spiritual energy to judge their direction, thus the easier for them to be misled! Were it not for Qiong Hua who led the way with a special magical tool, they would not even be able to come here.
At the same time, the dramatic change in the sound of the surrounding could be rated as strange in Nine Regions, and the fierce change in the surrounding spiritual energy had wonderful and endless use for cultivators with strong talent, and many spells cultivation could be assisted by this.
This was the real beautiful paradise, enough for a middle-rank sect to establish their headquarters. At the same time, this was also the gift from Mysterious Sky Mansion to Qiong Hua to celebrate her Jindan Stage achievement.
"We've arrived. This is my private realm. Sorry for the long journey, please rest inside."
At the side of floating island, Qiong Hua faintly said those words with an indifferent gaze, completely without the intention of showing off. It was just that, accidentally, she was glancing at Wang Lu.
The latter tightly frowned, yet with eyes flashing unceasingly. While Qiong Hua was puzzled by this reaction, he suddenly said, "Senior Sister Qiong Hua, do you want to sell this house?"
"…"
"Thirty million spirit stones, what do you think?"
"…"
"Forty million?"
Qiong Hua helplessly said, "I think we should at least talk about this after we come back later."
Wang Lu confidently said, "I'm afraid that if you accidentally die in the demon world, this property would be recovered back by Mysterious Sky Mansion, and by that time, it would not be easy to buy at a low price anymore."
"..." Qiong Hua shook her head, no longer wanting to talk to Wang Lu about this. She just waved her hand to open a gap in that endless waterfall that formed a natural barrier.
"Let's go."
The five of them successively entered the floating island and took a break in the island's exquisite courtyard to restore their magical power. Then, led by Qiong Hua, they flew under the floating island where there was thick water mist that rose from where the circular waterfall landed. Qiong Hua stretched her finger and pointed at the center of the mist. "Junior Brother Ziye, you can plant your Eternal Tree seed here."
Zhan Ziye was not assured. Only after taking out hundreds of calculation talismans and carefully calculating did he finally nod.
The transplantation of eternal tree that had been rooted in the golden core was a life-threatening event for cultivators. Even by common sense, it was simply impossible. Fortunately, Zhan Ziye was a disciple of Ten Thousand Arts Sect, and by using his own original algorithm, he was able to calculate the possibility.
Nevertheless, it was still very difficult, and the requirements for the environment were also extremely harsh. Thus, no matter how proud Zhan Ziye was of his method, he would not make a joke with his life.
Then, Zhan Ziye arranged an array underneath the island and began to transplant the Eternal Tree. The other four lead disciples acted as protectors around him. Each of them rotated their respective golden core to filter out the frenzied surrounding spiritual energy, so that Zhan Ziye in the middle could breathe in the purest energy.
Because of this, Zhan Ziye was able to focus on transplanting the Eternal Tree.
On the first day, Zhan Ziye sat cross-legged in mid-air with a floating futon underneath him. He devoted all of his energy to absorb the pure spiritual energy provided by the four lead disciples. After a day, the golden core inside his jade mansion has been inflated by ten times, and his magical power was nearly violent.
For Jindan Stage cultivators, it would be a blatant suicide to infuse excessive spiritual energy into the golden core. Usually, a cultivator who infused themselves with one and a half their maximum magical power was enough to make their golden core explode. This ten times as many performed by Zhan Ziye was simply an eye-opener.
But only in this environment could he really proceed with the transplantation of Eternal Tree. Being washed by excessive spiritual energy, the little bit of green light inside the golden core began to grow rapidly.
On the second day, Zhan Ziye was still sitting in mid air, but the futon underneath him had disappeared. Because from the pores on the surface of his body, numerous fine roots of the Eternal Tree had spread out and rooted down at the bottom of the waterfall. These countless fine roots, under the nourishment from the water of the waterfall, were actually able to support Zhan Ziye's body!
On the third day, Zhan Ziye's position was already replaced by a towering ancient tree. A waist thick large tree that was hundreds of meters in height was suspended in mid-air, propped up by roots that were no longer in the form of countless fine and difficult to recognize threads, but rather exceptionally thick and solid ones. These roots acted as the link between the Eternal Tree and the ring-shaped waterfall. Countless of roots interweaved into a network that nearly covered the ring-shaped waterfall. And looking upward along the roots...
Originally, Zhan Ziye was sitting cross legged under the floating island, with the distance only hundreds of meters from below the island. According to the growth rate of the Eternal Tree, the treetop would soon reach the island. However, at this time, when the Eternal Tree began to take shape, from the bottom looking up, the floating island seemed to have disappeared.
Because the space channel had been opened by the Eternal Tree. If this was seen from afar, the bottom of the floating island was like a black hole, and the sturdy Eternal Tree was almost submerged in that black hole.
From that black hole, cold wind whistled with an unpleasant odor, which was the smell of the demon world.
The four lead disciples looked at the black hole above them with a solemn look. Though they had long awaited it, witnessing the scene with their own eyes was still a breathtaking event.
The passage between the two worlds was actually opened. In accordance with Zhan Ziye's theory, this was the call from the Eternal Tree in the demon world to its branches, and it belonged to an instinctive reaction—truly incredible. Through instinctive reaction alone, the passage that had long been successfully closed by the past cultivators was suddenly opened!
It seemed like a being far beyond the true immortal was not just a fabricated fantasy. However, thinking that such a terrifying life form was there in the demon world, how could people not be worried?
During the battle for the five blood spirit crown, Zhan Ziye had the plan to make the Eternal Tree stand on the ground and walk. Although it was only part of the immortal dream world in the group of immortal tomb, who could guarantee that no one could do the same in the demon world?
In the past, Nine Regions could produce heroes such as Immortal Qin and Great Ancestor Desheng, was it impossible for the same thing to happen in the demon world?
Once the Eternal Tree was really used… Perhaps there would also be a similar power that could contend with it in the Nine Regions, but when these two forces collide, how much serious harm would they bring to Nine Regions?
"... I feel more and more that our action in the demon world should not be delayed." Zhou Mumu looked incredibly serious.
Xiang Liang silently nodded while his body's murderous intent had gradually become obvious.
However, Wang Lu actually said, "I would like to call foreign aid…"
Qiong Hua shook her head. "Our business in the demon world would not get more effective by adding a participant, which should be very clear to you. Moreover, this passage does not allow a too strong individual to pass. Jindan Stage is almost its limit…"
Wang Lu said, "I happen to know a cheap Jindan Stage cultivator, very suitable to be used as cannon fodder."
Qiong Hua sighed and no longer bothered with Wang Lu. She lightly said, "Let's go."
With that, she became the first to fly into the black hole. Wang Lu let out a laugh and then followed her. Zhou Mumu and Xiang Liang flew side by side behind them.
The next moment, the Eternal Tree that was deeply rooted in the ring-shaped waterfall suddenly abandoned all the roots and then disappeared, pulled by the strong gravitational pull from behind the black hole.
Then, that terrifying black hole slowly closed while the innumerable stars behind it flashed as if there was a pair of eager and covetous eyes.
——
Behind the passage was a blood-red world.
This was not an unfamiliar world. In the last moment of the battle for the five blood spirit crown, when Qiong Hua dished out her Kill Immortal Sword and broke the world in one strike, everything changed their color and all things fell apart. All the camouflage of that world disappeared, and everything was revealed as it was.
Harmony River, Flaming Valley, Golden City, and Grey Mountain… were not some kind of beautiful place in the eyes of Nine Regions people, but rather an ugly and cruel demon world land...
"Is this the demon world?"
After coming out of the passage, Zhou Mumu softly said with eyes opened wide.
"This is the demon world."
From behind, Zhan Ziye said with certainty.
At this time, he had just restored his human form from the Eternal Tree. Although he looked very weak, he stubbornly refused the assistance from Xiang Liang, standing proudly by himself and commenting on what he saw.
"Whether it's the composition of the soil under the feet, or the smell of the air, all conform with what has been described in the text. Without a doubt, this is the demon world."
His voice was weak but firm. However, as he spoke, a blast of wind blew past, and Zhan Ziye involuntarily shivered and then sneezed.
What came out was black blood.