The Secret Realm of the Hanging Mountain.
When the fourth Heavenly Dao Sound rang out, everyone stopped what they were doing and listened quietly.
The Daoist sound was vast and boundless, resounding throughout the heavens and earth, and even secret realms could not stop it.
Only after the Daoist chanting subsided and ceased to resound did everyone come to their senses, causing a commotion.
"The Fourth Heavenly Dao Sound has arrived so quickly?"
"I can feel the concentration of spiritual energy within the secret realm is increasing!"
"The fourth sound of the Dao of Heaven and Earth signifies that the evolution of the rules of heaven and earth in the outside world is about to become more perfect!"
...
The people in the secret realm were talking about it.
Inside the ancient temple perched atop a mountain.
Several powerful wills were also exchanging ideas.
"The fourth Dao sound has been heard. The rules of heaven and earth in the outside world will soon evolve to a level that can accommodate us."
"That's not enough. The appearance of the Dao Sound for the fourth time only means that the rules can accommodate the Foundation Establishment stage's free actions."
"But if we wish to advance further and transcend the Golden Core tribulation, it's far from enough. We must wait until at least the fifth Dao Sound."
"No rush. This fourth Dao sound came faster than we expected. I think the fifth Dao sound shouldn't be too far away."
"However, the fact that the fourth Dao sound has been heard indicates that the evolution of the rules of heaven and earth in the outside world has become quite perfect and stable."
According to ancient records, some celestial opportunities are about to come to fruition.
Perhaps it's time to send the disciples from the secret realm out for training.
"Indeed, our secret realm is ultimately just a secondary space that exists in dependence on the main world."
The rules within are inherently flawed; without external experience, disciples' foundations will be unstable.
"Then let them go out and gain some experience first. Ultimately, only by taking root in the main world can our Suspended Mountain truly develop and grow stronger."
"Also, didn't we already find out where that little thief who dared to offend the majesty of my Suspended Mountain was from the Wujian Tower last time?"
While we're at it, let's see if we can capture him and convert him to Buddhism.
“Excellent! That young man is clearly one of the most fortunate people of this era. If he can convert to Buddhism, he can also add some depth to our Suspended Mountain.”
...
Not long after, a Buddhist decree flew out from the small temple on the mountaintop and flew down.
They soon arrived at the magnificent hall halfway up the mountain and fell into Xuan Yi's hands.
Xuan Yi's expression immediately hardened after reading the contents of the Buddhist decree.
He immediately ordered someone to ring the Buddhist bell in the bell tower.
The deep, resonant sound of the bell rang out, and all the monks of the suspended mountain within the secret realm were shaken to their core upon hearing it. They then rushed towards the location of the Great Buddha Hall.
Accompanied by the deep tolling of bells.
In the settlement where the Wujianlou lineage resides, the mysterious and enigmatic leader stands atop the wooden tower, gazing up at the massive mountain suspended in mid-air in the center of the secret realm.
"OP, what is the purpose of ringing the Buddhist bell at the Hanging Mountain?"
Elder You appeared beside the Lord, also gazing at the massive mountain in the sky.
"What else can happen? The fourth Heavenly Dao Sound resounded, and the rules of Heaven and Earth in the outside world further evolved and improved."
It seems this suspended mountain is finally about to make a move.
"The Lord of Wujian said slowly."
"You mean, the Suspended Mountain is about to be born?" Elder You exclaimed in surprise.
"We'll know in a few days whether that's true or not."
"Then, what should we do, OP?"
"When you're under someone's roof, what can you do? You can only wait and see if this compassionate Buddhist holy site will ever have a chance to use us, the shady characters, to do something shady."
The Lord of Wujian said calmly, but there was a hint of helplessness in his tone.
Elder You remained silent.
He knew that this was the reality facing their Wujianlou (Infernal Tower).
Compared to the Suspended Mountain, which has absolute control over the secret realm and unfathomable depths, the Wujianlou are barely stronger than ants.
It would be an easy thing for them to crush.
Therefore, faced with absolute power, no matter how many schemes they have, they can only keep them to themselves and dare not reveal them in the slightest.
"Elder You, when you went out to investigate last time, you said that the outside world has changed drastically?"
Suddenly, the Master of Wujian asked.
"Indeed, the world outside has changed drastically, and its appearance is quite different from the records left by our ancestors."
Especially after the revival of spiritual energy, the cultivation world outside experienced an explosive growth.
Even more powerful martial artists possess strength that has reached unimaginable levels, far exceeding our comprehension.
Elder You recalled the old doctor and the terrifying demonic cultivator he had encountered when he went out to gather information.
My heart still trembles a little.
Even someone as strong as him was almost powerless against those two.
If it weren't for the extraordinary treasure bestowed upon him by the Lord, he wouldn't even have had a chance to escape.
“Very good, the stronger the external forces, the better.” The Master of Wujian Tower nodded. “This way, the Suspended Mountain will have a day when they need us, and that will be the only chance for Wujian Tower to break free from the control of the Suspended Mountain.”
The Lord of Wujian gazed at the massive mountain in the sky and the faintly visible, resplendent temple on its summit.
The resources within this secret realm are almost entirely controlled by the Suspended Mountain.
Even survival is difficult for them, let alone cultivation.
Wujianlou longed for these days to end.
But for thousands of years before that, their ancestors could not find any opportunity to escape the suspended mountain.
The formation for entering the secret realm is controlled by the Hanging Mountain, and only powerful monks with profound Buddhist knowledge are qualified to activate it.
Without permission, they would never have been able to find a chance to go out.
At least our ancestors throughout history have made countless efforts in secret, yet they have not seen a glimmer of hope.
Not to mention escaping the secret realm, not even the suspended mountain in the sky has been touched by a single disciple of the Wujianlou in the past thousand years.
After all, even someone as powerful as the Perfected Innate Realm cannot traverse the air or fly on the wind.
However, if the outside world is truly as Elder You described, with many powerful individuals...
The Suspended Mountain cannot dominate the world; perhaps that is their only chance to break free from it.
Just as the Suspended Mountain began its busy preparations, the other major secret realms also took different actions in response to the resounding Daoist voice.
The Secret Realm of Clouds and Water.
This secret place is quite different from the Hanging Mountain.
Everywhere there are lakes and islands of all sizes, shrouded in mist, intertwined with the layers of clouds in the sky.
Giant birds occasionally fly through the area, creating a breathtaking and ethereal scene, like a fairyland.
On an island in one of the largest lakes, enormous birds, each carrying one or two figures on its back, would fly in from all directions and land on the island.
"Senior Brother, what is it that the Patriarch has summoned us here for?"
A bright-eyed, white-toothed girl rode a white bird as it descended from the sky.
As soon as I landed on the ground, I couldn't wait to ask.
"I don't know either." The eldest brother shook his head.
"Could it be related to the previous Daoist sound of heaven and earth?" a young man asked.
"We don't know. We'll find out when the patriarchs and the others come out."
The eldest brother still didn't give a definite answer.
Just as all the disciples of the Cloud and Water Secret Realm were speculating about the reason why their ancestor had summoned them.
Suddenly, several gentle and ethereal auras appeared from ahead.
Several elderly men dressed in plain robes fell from the sky.
All the disciples immediately straightened up and bowed in unison, saying, "Greetings, Ancestor!"
"No need for formalities. I have summoned you here today because I have a task to entrust to you," the elder in the lead said gently.
All the disciples listened attentively with solemn expressions.
"The Dao sound rang out for the fourth time, and the evolution of the rules of heaven and earth in the outside world became more and more stable."
I discussed it with the patriarchs, and perhaps it's time for you all to go out and undergo trials..."
Similar events to those in the Cloud and Water Secret Realm also occurred in two other secret locations.
Faced with the fourth sound of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, the four secret realms made an astonishingly unanimous decision.
That is to let the disciples of the sect go out into the world to gain experience.
This was both to train the disciples and to remove obstacles and lay the groundwork for the day when the sect would truly emerge into the world.
Despite the turmoil in the outside world, it had no effect on Lu Qing whatsoever.
After taking the medicine, Wei Zihao and the others felt much better the next day and were basically able to move around without any problems.
Lu Qing and Wei Xinghe immediately led the group back to Jiuli Village and settled them in Wei's villa.
Two days later, after the demonic cultivator absorbed the demonic energy from his severed hand and his soul recovered somewhat, he finally removed the talismans from Wei Zihao and the others' bodies.
Although the spell was broken, the spell had drained too much of their life force from them.
Not only were their foundations damaged, but their lifespans were also diminished to varying degrees.
Wei Zihao, in particular, used too much power in activating the talisman while chasing Wei Xinghe, which resulted in the most significant loss of his lifespan.
So much so that when the talisman was removed, a strand of white hair appeared at his temples.
This caused Madam Wei to burst into tears upon learning the truth.
Wei Zian was also deeply saddened and indignant about his brother's fate, regretting that he was not in Zhoufu City at the time and had personally killed that despicable demonic cultivator.
On the contrary, Wei Zihao became very peaceful after this ordeal.
Instead of complaining, she comforted her mother and brother.
He said that he was extremely lucky to have survived such a calamity, and that losing a little lifespan was nothing.
Compared to his fellow disciples who were tortured to death in the sect, his experience was already quite fortunate.
Wei Zihao's composure greatly pleased Wei Shanhai and Wei Xinghe.
Although Wei Zihao suffered a calamity this time and almost lost his life.
But it is clear that after experiencing this ordeal, his character has been greatly tempered, which can be considered a blessing in disguise.
As for the lost lifespan, as long as he cultivates diligently, he may have hope of making up for it if he reaches the Innate Realm in the future.
After resolving everything, Lu Qing returned to her usual quiet life.
Aside from the necessary cultivation, he spends his days farming, fishing, or giving Xiaoyan pointers on her cultivation.
After Xiaoyan broke through, Lu Qing also selected a suitable Qi-absorbing technique for her and taught it to her so that she could cultivate it slowly.
As for magic and the like, Lu Qing has no intention of teaching them for the time being.
Xiaoyan is still young and her mind is not yet settled.
Practicing magic too early could easily make her become addicted, putting the cart before the horse.
Given her current situation, she should focus on building a solid foundation.
Therefore, Lu Qing only taught Xiao Yan the Qi Absorption Technique for the time being, so that she could condense her spiritual power every day.
During his leisurely days, Lu Qing would occasionally communicate with the demonic cultivators through his mind to inquire about matters concerning the Tianyuan Great World.
The demonic cultivator had already been enslaved by Lu Qing's soul, so he naturally answered all his master's questions without reservation, daring not to conceal anything in the slightest.
Therefore, after a few days, although Lu Qing seemed to be doing nothing, his vision and knowledge about cultivation were actually increasing rapidly every day.
"What did you say? You know how to use the light of merit?"
On this day, Lu Qing was still chatting with the demonic cultivator using his mind.
Unintentionally, he suddenly asked the demonic cultivator if he knew how to use the Light of Merit.
When Lu Qing asked this question, he had no hope.
After all, good and evil cannot coexist.
He didn't think that a demonic cultivator would understand how to use the light of merit.
Unexpectedly, the demonic cultivator gave him an unexpected answer.
"Reporting to Master, this humble servant does indeed know some things about the use of the Light of Merit," the demonic cultivator replied respectfully.
"In the Tianyuan Great World, there are many sects, among which there are several powerful Buddhist sects."
Those bald monks are at odds with us demonic cultivators, so conflicts often break out.
Xiao Nu had killed several powerful Buddhist cultivators and obtained some Buddhist techniques.
This includes the application of the light of merit.
Hearing the demonic cultivator's words, Lu Qing was genuinely pleasantly surprised.
Unexpectedly, after searching high and low without success, the method for using the Light of Merit that I was looking for was obtained from a demonic cultivator.
Thinking about it that way, it really does seem absurd.
"Then tell me, what methods do you know for using the Light of Merit?" Lu Qing asked immediately.
"Yes, Master," the demonic cultivator replied respectfully. "However, Master, in my previous life I was a demon general, and I cultivated the authentic demonic cultivation techniques passed down by the Demon Lord."
Those with demonic energy naturally repel the energy of Buddhism and Taoism.
Therefore, after obtaining those Buddhist and Taoist techniques, he did not practice them.
After studying it briefly, I tossed it aside.
Furthermore, Xiao Nu's true spirit has been reincarnated many times, and many of her memories have been lost.
Therefore, Master, the only methods I still remember regarding the application of the Light of Merit are two.
If my master needs it, I will teach it to him.
However, Master, this humble servant is unable to cultivate these two techniques, so I do not know if they are truly effective.
"It's okay, just send it over."
Through the mark of soul enslavement, Lu Qing could sense that the demonic cultivator was not lying.
Therefore, he went straight to the point.
Anyway, he has the ability to deduce and comprehend, so he can tell at a glance whether a method is true or false.
"Yes, Master."
Soon, Lu Qing received the information transmitted by the demonic cultivator through the soul enslavement mark.
At the same time, he also sensed the notification of his supernatural abilities.
【A cultivation technique has been discovered. Should we download and simulate it?】
Without hesitation, he immediately chose to download the simulator.
【Downloading, current progress: 1%, 2%, 3%, 98%, 99%, 100%】
【Download complete. Would you like to run a simulation?】
Lu Qing directly chose the simulation.
【Simulating, current progress: 1%, 2%, 3%, 99%, 100%.】
【Simulation complete. Would you like to proceed with the learning process?】
Lu Qing chose to study.
The next moment, a wealth of insights surged from the depths of his mind.
Lu Qing was already used to this feeling, so he immediately closed his eyes and silently received these insights.
Not long after, when he opened his eyes again, they were filled with surprise.
