Chapter 802: The Immortal City of Qingyun

Chapter 802: The Immortal City of Qingyun

Xiao Nanfeng took hold of the fragment of white jade and looked toward Lan Yaoguang. "Have you already consolidated the spiritual power and insight from the Cursebane Sword?"

"I'm fine. You should activate that jade fragment and see what you can do with it. It might help us get out of here," Lan Yaoguang replied.

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. "Focus on consolidating what you have first. Let me analyze the jade fragment a little while longer.

"Very well." Lan Yaoguang nodded and sat down in meditation.

By then, the vast snowy plains had gone completely silent. The superior yin pearls and blue-furred monsters were all gone. Except for the swirling snowflakes in the sky, there was nothing else around them but themselves.

After some time, Lan Yaoguang opened her eyes with a frown.

"Well?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"I'm almost at late-stage True Yin, but I'm just shy of reaching it," Lan Yaoguang murmured, a frustrated expression on her face.

"That's good enough. We'll find more blue-furred lifeforms once we get out of here." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

Alright." Lan Yaoguang's mood improved.

"Now, will you guard me while I meditate?"

"Of course." Lan Yaoguang nodded seriously.

Xiao Nanfeng switched back to his physical body.

"Didn't your spiritual moon suggest that you merge the jade fragment with your soul? What're you doing now?" Lan Yaoguang asked, puzzled.

Xiao Nanfeng swallowed the jade piece.

Lan Yaoguang's eyes opened wide. "You... swallowed it?"

Xiao Nanfeng didn't respond. He closed his eyes and began to meditate.

In the end, he still didn't fully trust his spiritual moon. Though it had suggested that he merge the jade fragment with his soul to control the enlightenment grounds, he feared the possibility of a hidden threat. Cautious as ever, he decided to absorb the power via a different means, even if it meant wasting some of its potency.

The fragment of white jade contained the natural law of these enlightenment grounds—and could therefore be used for physical cultivation.

Within his dantian, his ten golden crows shattered the jade fragment, which exploded into a vast surge of energy.

Simultaneously, the snow-covered landscape around him began to shake and crack. The entire realm seemed to be crumbling.

Lan Yaoguang's expression widened as she continued to guard Xiao Nanfeng.

Snowstorms hurtled toward Xiao Nanfeng from every direction. Even the mountains, plains, and sky seemed to surge toward his dantian.

"What...?" Lan Yaoguang watched on in shock.

The condensed energy of the world at large, along with the natural law of the realm, surged toward Xiao Nanfeng's dantian. Roiling strength filled him. His clothes billowed madly as his surroundings blurred into chaos. Only Xiao Nanfeng and Lan Yaoguang remained as well-defined existences in the region amidst the swirling distortions of space and time.

Six hours passed in this manner. Then, a sudden gust of energy blasted out from Xiao Nanfeng's body and scattered the chaotic energy around him.

"Have you broken through?" Lan Yaoguang asked, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

"What?" Lan Yaoguang was stunned.

"They're still on their way, though. It'll take another day or two for them to reach us. The fog in the green knoll hidden realm makes navigation difficult, but fortunately enough, Qingyun is easy to find."

"My physical body? But why?" Lan Yaoguang then blushed slightly as he realized what he might be implying.

"Well, there are certain things we can't do without your physical body," Xiao Nanfeng teased.

"What mischief are you planning?" Lan Yaoguang's face flushed red as she shot him a glare.

Just then, a tremendous explosion rocked the air outside Qingyun. The entire city seemed to shake.

"The Enlightenment Grounds are here again! Hurry, activate the defenses!"

"That demon from the Enlightenment Grounds is going to attack the city again!"

"I am the city lord of Qingyun! I ask all cultivators to gather by the south of the city and lend us their assistance!"

The city erupted in panic.

Countless figures took to the skies and headed toward the south.

Xiao Nanfeng and Lan Yaoguang eyed each other and followed suit.

By then, the walls were packed with cultivators. The two of them blended in at the outskirts of the crowd.

As everyone pointed toward the distance, Xiao Nanfeng and Lan Yaoguang spotted a white, spherical domain moving toward the city. The interior of the domain was obscured by a swirling blizzard, but there were two black eye-like vortices by the surface of the domain that seemed to stare menacingly toward Qingyun. Beneath it was a gaping mouth-like storm, opening and closing like a ravenous demon roaring.

The gaping maw of the domain suddenly let out a roar. The entire domain, like a monstrous creature hundreds of meters tall, hurtled toward Qingyun.

The monster struck the city's defensive formation, which shuddered violently as if it would shatter at any moment.

"Is that... one of these Enlightenment Grounds?" Lan Yaoguang exclaimed.

"This is what I ate earlier?" Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

The white jade fragment he had consumed was essentially equivalent to the entity before them. He hadn't realized that this was what such Enlightenment Grounds looked like from the outside.

The defensive formation shuddered again. It wasn't going to be able to hold out for long.

Many cultivators on the southern wall began to panic.

Just then, a man dressed as an official called out, "Fellow cultivators, over the past few years, these Enlightenment Grounds have started to go mad. They're attacking cultivators all over the green knoll hidden realm, and more and more frequently and aggressively at that. Recently, another Immortal city was breached and its entire population devoured. Every day, more Immortal sects are found and wiped out, leaving no survivors behind."

Everyone turned to the official, their faces tense.

"As a representative of the Immortal Emperor of Daliang, I summon cultivators across the hidden realm to attack these Enlightenment Grounds simultaneously. His Majesty has sought out help from cultivators beyond the realm in order to save the common people from our shared foe. These Enlightenment Grounds are demons that devour the innocent—but they are not invincible! By joining forces, we can destroy them. Many Immortal cities have reported victories over these Enlightenment Grounds. I ask all of you here today to stand with me and defend Qingyun. Together, we shall slay this demon and save the world. His Majesty will generously reward those who aid us in victory!" the official proclaimed.

"Don't worry, City Lord of Qingyun. We came to Qingyun today to stand and fight with you. These Enlightenment Grounds can sense where large groups of cultivators gather. If we don't work together with you, we'll be easy prey when they come for our sects. We'll support Daliang!" one cultivator declared.

"Right! We'll fight alongside Daliang!" many cultivators echoed.

Within the crowd, Xiao Nanfeng frowned. Could all these cultivators be paid actors?