Chapter 360: The Ancestors Have Arrived
The desolate desert gradually became lively. Not only were demon cultivators like the Blood God Ape searching for the Garden of Ancient Herbs, but members of other major factions were also involved.
"Am I seeing things? Who are those over there, and what are they doing? Why are those three big men dancing?" Someone stopped and gazed into the distance.
"Am I not mistaken? Is that Wang Xuan? What is he doing, covered in blood? It's so pitiful. Is he drunk?" said the person that was staring.
"The focus isn't on him. It's that man in the modern casual clothes. Take a closer look, doesn't he resemble the legendary Patriarch Zhang?" replied the other person.
"Oh my god!" exclaimed someone, slapping himself just to make sure that it was not his illusion. After the slap it was confirmed that it wasn't an illusion but indeed Old Zhang himself that was dancing by the flame!
This was truly bizarre. They couldnt believe it was the awe-inspiring and earth-shattering legendary Old Zhang that could move even ghosts and gods. As a newcomer, even the Demon Ancestor was wary, afraid of being inadvertently taken away by him! However, at this moment, what was Old Zhang doing? Together with two other men, they were dancing In broad daylight, under the public gaze!
These demon cultivators were without spiritual eyes, they couldn't see the Evil Spirits at all. They only saw Old Zhang with a stiff face, gracefully moving his body. Surprisingly, the movements of those with great abilities were smooth, elegant, and full of charm. He exuded a masculine beauty.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))
"You lot, come over here and watch me dance. Maybe you'll enlighten and ascend like a feather to become immortal?" said Old Zhang, calling for those people to come over. He was remarkably composed, displaying social prowess and was always taking the lead.
Then, with a few clangs, he erased their entire memories by using a rusty bronze mirror on them. Finally releasing them after they were hypnotized. This was a dark chapter in the history of Patriarch Zhang, which he certainly wouldn't allow people to spread rumors about. Anyone passing by here would receive a gift of a rusty bronze mirror from him.
Even the beautiful female cultivators were no exception. With that, several bewildered maidens emerged from the desert. They were touching the bruised and bloody wounds on their fair foreheads, feeling a bit puzzled about the situation.
"Old Zhang, you've already done it to sixteen demon cultivators and twenty-one human cultivators, especially with twelve beautiful fairy-like women. Your attacks on them were particularly severe," said Wang Xuan.
At that moment, he was dancing around the flame. He was reciting scriptures and discussing Tao with those Evil Spirits, and unexpectedly he gained tremendous benefits!
"The female immortals are sentimental, theyre all good people. I'm afraid I couldn't completely erase their memories of me, so I gave them a little extra care," replied Old Zhang.
Chen Yongjie was speechless.
They were being praised so much by you, yet they ended up getting beaten more?
They gathered here to discuss scriptures and exchange insights through profound passages. The higher the value of the scriptures that were recited, the greater the benefits they received. Wang Xuan was illuminated by the Evil Flame, and the cracking sound of bones were heard as they regenerated!
"How about it, isn't my supreme scripture truly worthy of its name? All things are external influences, and in this world, there is only one person. All immortals, all ages, everything from the vast expanse of the starry sky to the tiny specks of dust, down to the microscopic world, are the thoughts of one person spreading. There is nothing else in this world besides me. And my state is very special. At this moment, I might just be a corpse under the frozen soil, or perhaps a flower that is blooming brilliantly in the sea of time. Are you moved to tears? Have you discovered the true meaning of my existence? Where will I go from now on?" asked Wang Xuan.
Old Zhang raised the bronze mirror in his hand, intending to give him a hit on the forehead. However, he ultimately put down the mirror and continued to study the scripture. He was quite engrossed in it. Although he also thought the original author might have been mentally ill, he believed that there were indeed profound meanings hidden within.
"Come on, let's make an exchange. Give me the talismans!" Wang Xuan said, handing the latter half of the scripture to Old Zhang.
He really wanted to see the result of Zhang Daoling's training. He wanted to know whether it was successful or did it make him get a mental illness, or perhaps losing oneself. Old Zhang pondered for a moment, not denying it. He used the mirror to shine on Wang Xuan's palm, leaving behind a complex mark, which was the Mirror Light talisman. Then, he carved a Yang Ping Seal talisman on Wang Xuan's chest and a Dragon-tiger Sword talisman on his back. At critical moments, these will be the trump cards. A sudden strike with these against a formidable opponent might instantly change the course of the battle.
"You're a man of your word. Give him a talisman too. Although the mysterious man wearing the silver mask is mainly targeting me but in a desperate situation, Chen Yongjie might unexpectedly be able to kill him!" said Wang Xuan.
"Alright." Old Zhang nodded, adding another talisman. It wasn't a big deal to carve a complex mark on Chen Yongjie's forehead.
Looking at the shape of the mark, it resembled a mountain that exuded an aura that seemed to hold the heavens and earth. It looked like it contained astonishing power. Soon, it subsided and disappeared without a trace.
Old Zhang was speechless. Rather than calling it a conversation with the Evil Queen, it was more like a summary of the dissolution of the mythological world they inhabited. However, they still harbored reluctance. Otherwise, why would they become evil spirits and continue to discuss scriptures with the newcomers? This was the obsession of the departed spirits of a mythological civilization.
Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie had their bones healed, organs restored, and spirits rejuvenated. How, their bodies were as strong as tigers. They felt capable of tearing apart the Demon ancestor, well almost. But after calming down, they accepted the harsh reality again.
"Sighh, even if we can tear apart Qi Lian Dao and Qi Cheng Dao, we are still inadequate to face true top-tier experts!" Wang Xuan reflected, he was unable to help but sigh.
He had been nearly blasted apart by the person wearing the silver mask, and even now he was still furrowing his brow as he had no solution in sight. The disparity in strength was evident, and there was no way to change it.
The two searched for the female Taoist, but after circling the desert for a long time, they found no trace of her. In the end, they never went far away and could only reluctantly walk around the Three Evil Flame.
"Old Zhang is trapped and can't come out from there for the time being." said Wang Xuan.
"There are more and more transcendents in the desert, which means many people know about the legend of the Garden of Ancient Herbs and are searching for it. We can't just stand idly by." replied Old Cheng.
Three days later, the two were astonished to find that many people had arrived at the edge of the vast desert, near the area close to the spiritual world. From demonic cultivators to human cultivators, they represented various major factions.
"This is a holy land for cultivation!" an elderly cultivator exclaimed. Even some old folks had come.
Reaching the realm of transcendence and approaching the spiritual world was extremely difficult, it was almost impossible for many people. People like Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie, who had witnessed extraordinary scenes in the mortal world early on and captured glimpses of the first layer of the spiritual world, were extremely rare.
However, in this place, you could approach that mysterious realm regardless of the depth of your cultivation. It was a magnificent world manifested by spiritual power. Moreover, it was difficult to define which layer of the spiritual world this place belonged to. Any transcendent could slowly walk towards the edge and gradually adapt to it. They could nurture and baptize their spirit here. Ahead, the scenery was clear, with a vast lake that steamed with spiritual energy. There were towering peaks, and divine waterfalls cascading like galaxies falling from the sky. There were also glimpses of heavenly herbs and medicinal plants in the clouds.
"Incredible," Wang Xuan marveled, "Is this a world belonging to the spiritual realm?"
In the distance, some people were discussing, saying, "Demon Four has entered, rushing straight into this spiritual world in haste, just like the sign of a legend."
"What legend?" someone asked in confusion.
"During ancient times, the Demon Clan of Demon Four, was the orthodox lineage in the demonic path. The current Demon Ancestor is from another branch. Unfortunately, the former orthodox Demon Emperor wanted to return to the real world during ancient times. He used the spiritual realm as a passage, but there was no news of him after that" said one of the people.
Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in shock.
The person continued, "It's not just Demon Four. It's rumored that the Demon Ancestor might have entered first. Could it be that they're looking for the remains of the Demon Emperor?"
People began discussing fervently.
However, someone shook their head and said, "You're overthinking it. The Demon Ancestor didn't manifest to support the orthodox lineage of the demonic path. He's probably searching for other important opportunities. I've heard that even the Hades Blood Ancestor has entered!"
"No way, two transcendent figures have come?" exclaimed the person.
"There are more than two. Some have witnessed the appearance of the Transcendent Ancestor, Qi Teng. His transcendent form vanished in an instant!" one of them replied.
"It seems there's something peculiar about this spiritual realm. Now that figures like them are showing up, they must be exploring it for one last time!" exclaimed the person.
Far away, Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie looked solemn. The incarnations of transcendent figures had appeared, and it's not just one. This was becoming absurd! This place was difficult for physical bodies to enter. Although not impossible, bringing your physical body in would undoubtedly become a burden. Wang Xuan tried it out and was astonished, then delighted. It seemed that the power of the Godslaying Banner in this world had skyrocketed!