Chapter 443: 382 Zhangg Asking the Cauldron of the 4th Realm! [Vote for Monthly Tickets!]
Immortal Gourd Space.
Chen Jichuan gazed at the turbulence outside the Immortal Gourd and the ravaging streams of black light, feeling a trace of fear in his heart.
"The Chongming Realm’s level is higher, and its space is more solid."
"Layers of void enveloped, turbulence surging—extremely dangerous."
Chen Jichuan, during his cultivation and exchanges with fellow Daoists, had learned about the terrors of the void.
Void turbulence arises everywhere.
Each stream of turbulence can deal fatal damage to third-order beings, only fourth-order immortals—and even then, they must have cultivated the First Layer of Immortal Light, the ’One-Pattern’ immortal—to barely endure it.
However, endurance remains challenging.
"Anyone in Divinity Transformation would die upon entering."
"Only those in Ascension can explore it, but even then, it’s fraught with danger."
Prior to this, Chen Jichuan had no concrete concept of the void, nor of the turbulence capable of threatening fourth-order immortals—he’d only heard of them.
But now, experiencing it up close—
Streams of black light flickered, chipping away at cliffs resistant even to Eleventh Tribulation Independent Immortals, layer after layer.
The Immortal Gourd was occasionally struck.
The entire space of the Immortal Gourd slightly trembled.
"So this is void turbulence!"
Chen Jichuan’s heart was full of awe.
...
"A single ray of light can obliterate a Ten Tribulation Independent Immortal."
"Eleventh Tribulation Independent Immortals can withstand only a few streams of light at most."
"And in the void, such void turbulence is omnipresent, converging into rivers, storming in thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of black rays. When such storms strike, both internal and external realms of fourth-order immortals would be torn asunder!"
Chen Jichuan was deeply shaken.
The destructive force of void turbulence—the oppressive sensation it brought—exceeded his imagination.
In comparison, the might of fourth-order immortals who could briefly traverse the void became evident.
"Ascension in the fourth-order also divides into four realms:"
"The first realm is the ’Inner Realm.’"
"The second realm is the ’External Realm.’"
"The third realm is the ’Dharma Body.’"
"The fourth realm is the ’Heavenly Ladder.’"
The first three realms can condense either ’Immortal Light,’ or ’Buddha Light,’ or ’Spiritual Light.’
Take Xiao Lan, for example—when he ascended to the fourth order in the Starry Sky World, Immortal Light began to condense behind his head.
This is the culmination of a cultivator’s lifetime of insight, embodying the profound truths of heaven and earth.
When mortals are illuminated by Immortal Light, their lifespan is instantly extended.
When cultivators are illuminated by Immortal Light, they experience rapid breakthroughs.
Immortal Light is not only a manifestation of Daoist attainment and cultivation but also a symbol of power.
"One layer of Immortal Light is like a realm unto itself."
"When Immortal Light transforms into an ’Immortal Film,’ it envelops the body as if creating a miniature world of protection wherever one goes, immune to ordinary attacks."
Ten Tribulation Independent Immortals are said to rival fourth-order immortals.
In truth, their strength is equivalent only to the initial phase of the fourth order.
Even Eleventh Tribulation and Twelfth Tribulation Independent Immortals fall within the same initial phase of the fourth order; they belong to the nascent stage before achieving even one layer of Immortal Light.
"Even a Twelfth Tribulation Independent Immortal remains vastly inferior to a One-Pattern Immortal before the Yin gives rise to Yang and the first layer of Immortal Light condenses."
"A One-Pattern Immortal can stand still and allow a third-order being to attack; with one layer of Immortal Light guarding them, they remain unharmed."
"As long as Immortal Light exists, Ascension is immortal!"
Ascension seeks nine layers of Immortal Light.
The first three realms cultivate three layers each.
Once nine layers are cultivated, Immortal Light becomes the Heavenly Ladder, reaching the ’Heavenly Ladder Realm.’
The process of condensing Immortal Light and ascending the Heavenly Ladder is known as ’Ascension.’
...
"Ascension involves the four realms."
"It begins with the Inner Realm’s One-Pattern stage. Before one condenses even a single layer of Immortal Light, one is still immature!"
Condensing the first layer of Immortal Light is a natural progression for a righteous fourth-order immortal like Xiao Lan.
After stabilizing his cultivation, he can achieve it within a millennium.
This is also a period of rapidly increasing strength and a time of transformative growth.
But for Independent Immortals, this means overcoming the Eleventh and Twelfth rounds of Independent Immortal Tribulations—spanning the Ten, Eleven, and Twelve Tribulation levels.
Only after the Yin gives rise to Yang does the first layer of Immortal Light condense.
From this, it’s evident how immense the power gap is between a newly ascended fourth order and reaching the One-Pattern stage.
"A One-Pattern Immortal can sweep away Divinity Transformation cultivators and Independent Immortals."
"A Nine-Pattern Immortal is nearly invincible, and of course, the great powers of the fourth realm’s Heavenly Ladder are beyond comparison."
"Even so, a Nine-Pattern Immortal wouldn’t dare linger in the void for too long."
Through the Immortal Gourd Space, Chen Jichuan observed the surging spatial turbulence within Seven Mysterious Mountain, as well as the sights of the outer void. He felt both awe and enlightenment.
His desire for Seven Mysterious Mountain intensified.
"Seven Mysterious Mountain is solid and heavy, capable of withstanding the impact of void turbulence."
"If refined into a Magical Treasure, it would be invaluable."
Unlike the Seven-Fingered Daoist and others, who were trapped in Seven Mysterious Mountain due to mutual suspicion and greedy infighting, Chen Jichuan had chosen to remain voluntarily.
"Seven Mysterious Mountain cannot hold me."
"Hidden within the Immortal Gourd, even the Seven Mysterious Flying Ants are powerless against me."
"I’ll soon ascend to the fourth order. If I merely acquire a few fourth-order Magical Treasures or Spirit Medicines and leave, it would be a waste."
In just half an hour.
A considerable portion of Seven Mysterious Mountain remained unexplored.
Driven by greed and empowered by the protective ’Purple Mansion Immortal Gourd,’ Chen Jichuan decided to stay inside Seven Mysterious Mountain.
Once he ascends to the fourth order, he plans to eliminate the Flying Ants and refine Seven Mysterious Mountain into treasure.
"No rush."
"Now that the mountain is still floating in the void, it’s inconvenient to exit."
"Besides, I’m not yet on the cusp of the fourth order."
"I’ll wait."
Chen Jichuan wasn’t in a hurry to leave—he always had patience.
Thus, he remained in the Immortal Gourd Space, simultaneously observing the void and organizing his gains from the journey.
...
"Two fourth-order Magical Treasures."
"Six fourth-order Spirit Medicines."
"A hundred and twelve insect eggs."
Ignoring the third-order harvest, Chen Jichuan turned his attention to the fourth-order Magical Treasures, Spirit Medicines, and insect eggs.
The Magical Treasures were an unexpected surprise.
Both treasures were of an excellent grade within the fourth order.
[Magical Treasure: Fire Dragon Fork]
[Grade: Fourth-order]
[Description: Specially designed to break net-like treasures; ignites upon use and incinerates networks.]
...
[Magical Treasure: Vajra Divine Fire Bow]
[Grade: Fourth-order]
[Description: Specially designed to attack enemy Primordial Spirits; its arrows—if they don’t kill—will severely injure.]
...
Chen Jichuan, having seen much, had an eye for magic treasures.
In the Starry Sky World and through experiences in this lifetime, he’d encountered fourth-order treasures and gained insight into their varying qualities.
"The gap between the highest and lowest fourth-order Magical Treasures is massive. In the Chongming Realm, immortals generally rank them into nine levels."
"The ’Purple Mansion Immortal Gourd’ needs no introduction."
"Crafted by Mojia Venerable, infused with immortal energy, it is an ’Immortal Treasure,’ ranking at the very top of the fourth-order spectrum."
"But treasures from my previous life, like the ’Five Thunders Hurricane Mother Car’ and the ’Inverted Eight Gates Immortal Suppression Banner,’ only rank among the lowest two levels."
"Even treasures used by the Seven-Fingered Daoist fall within the eighth or ninth levels."
"However, the two treasures retrieved from Seven Mysterious Mountain—"
Chen Jichuan examined the ’Fire Dragon Fork’ and ’Vajra Divine Fire Bow.’
The ranking was clear:
At level one are the finest.
At level nine are the poorest.
’Fire Dragon Fork’ ranked seventh.
’Vajra Divine Fire Bow’ ranked fourth.
The latter, even among fourth-order Magical Treasures, could be considered exceptional.
"Vajra Divine Fire Bow!"
"Finally, an offensive treasure I can rely on."
Chen Jichuan’s lips curved in satisfaction.
In this lifetime, his cultivation time had been short, and aside from the ’Purple Mansion Immortal Gourd,’ he lacked suitable treasures.
Now, that shortcoming was resolved.
Moreover, this was a rare strange treasure specialized for attacking Primordial Spirits, making it even more remarkable.
The ’Fire Dragon Fork’ wasn’t lacking either, proving useful in critical moments.
For instance, in this current situation:
If not for the Seven Mysterious Flying Ants’ inability to refine treasures, merely summoning the ’Fire Dragon Fork’ would immediately dismantle the Cloud Net enshrouding Seven Mysterious Mountain, leaving no space for the Seven-Fingered Daoist’s techniques.
...
"On the other hand, if you asked the current Seven-Fingered Daoist, he’d probably wish the Seven Mysterious Flying Ants could refine the ’Fire Dragon Fork,’ break apart his Cloud Net!"
"That way, they wouldn’t enter, and they wouldn’t end up trapped. They might even survive a few more years."
"But now—"
Gazing at the ’Fire Dragon Fork,’ then sensing the Immortal Gourd exterior and Seven Mysterious Mountain within, Chen Jichuan shook his head: "Truly, stepping into this was a misfortune, not a blessing."
Chen Jichuan noticed—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Black rays flickered across the mountain, streams swept violently.
Waves of energy rippled with each eruption, marking the fall of yet another Independent Immortal.
"Great Strength Dharma King."
"Hundred Desires Wanderer."
"Great Void Zen Master."
"Sea Covering Demon Venerable."
"White Bone Venerable."
Five Nine Tribulation Independent Immortals perished in succession.
Despite possessing fourth-order treasures and reaching the peak of third order, they couldn’t withstand the omnipresent void turbulence and met their end within Seven Mysterious Mountain.
The Seven-Fingered Daoist, with his superior cultivation and abundant wealth, lasted slightly longer.
But, a mere half-hour after Seven Mysterious Mountain had been cast into the void, he too succumbed.
"Ah—"
A bitter cry echoed, then vanished.
...
"Alas!"
"Cultivation demands greed, but one must never be overly greedy!"
From a party of seven entering the mountain, Chen Jichuan was now the only survivor, leaving him with mixed emotions.
Though the other six didn’t leave empty-handed, had they not been consumed by greed and malicious thoughts, and chosen to leave peacefully—they might have avoided death. Instead, their infighting for speculative treasures led to their entrapment and demise amidst void turbulence.
What a pity, what a tragedy, what a curse!
Had they harbored kind thoughts and cooperated amicably, how could such a calamity have arisen?
It was nothing but selfish ambition at fault.
But then again—
Every person harbors selfishness, and cultivators are no exception.
Nevertheless:
The lives of Independent Immortals hold little value; even if they survived this encounter, those like the White Bone Venerable faced the Tenth Round of Independent Immortal Tribulations, where at least half were destined to fall.
As for the Twelve Tribulation looming over the Seven-Fingered Daoist—
"The Twelfth Tribulation is fierce; I couldn’t pass it myself, nor does he stand a chance."
"It’s only a matter of time before death catches him."
Their fate was sealed the moment they dissolved their bodies to become Independent Immortals. From that point forward, their path was one of chasing faint survival.
But ultimately, it was too fragile.
...
"Fortunately."
"This lifetime spared me from walking the Independent Immortal path."
Witnessing the successive deaths of the six Independent Immortals, Chen Jichuan felt both lament and relief.
He swept aside distractions.
Avoided pondering too deeply.
Seeing Seven Mysterious Mountain continue its drift in the void for quite some time, Chen Jichuan wasn’t in a rush, tending to his affairs quietly within the Immortal Gourd Space—
Enhancing cultivation.
Nurturing Spiritual Insects.
Refining Magical Treasures.
Seven years before entering Seven Mysterious Mountain, Chen Jichuan had already advanced to the Divinity Transformation Third Realm.
Seven years passed.
He was now closer than ever to ascending to the Fourth Order.
Chen Jichuan continued his disciplined cultivation, endlessly seeking improvement.
Mana.
Physical body.
Primordial Spirit.
Essence Qi, Essence Spirit, and Mental Energy all advanced in tandem.
Although cultivation was arduous, his accumulated foundation across lifetimes made the process manageable—it required little effort and consumed minimal energy.
Thus, Chen Jichuan devoted additional time to studying the "Hundred Insects Scripture", figuring out ways to nurture both the ’Golden Backed Mantis’ and his newly acquired ’Seven Mysterious Flying Ants.’
"The ’Golden Backed Mantis’ only reaches the third order. Its potential is limited, but it’s easier and more cost-effective to cultivate."
"The ’Seven Mysterious Flying Ants’ have far greater potential and a higher ceiling, yet their cultivation difficulty and associated costs are considerably more."
The "Hundred Insects Scripture" provides detailed methods for cultivating these two types of Spiritual Insects.
The ’Golden Backed Mantis’ is already challenging enough.
But the ’Seven Mysterious Flying Ants’ prove to be even more intricate.
"To make the ’Seven Mysterious Flying Ants’ truly useful, their grade must be raised and their numbers increased substantially."
"This requires an astronomical amount of wealth."
"Primarily Spirit Stones."
From the moment the ’Seven Mysterious Flying Ants’ exist as eggs, they require Spiritual Energy to hatch. Once born, they must be fed Spirit Stones.
Standard Spirit Stones.
Low-grade Spirit Crystals.
Middle-grade Essence Stones.
Feeding them progressively higher-grade Spirit Stones, in increasingly large quantities, enables them to transform repeatedly—culminating in Fourth-order Spiritual Insects capable of unstoppable power.
Yet this is tremendously difficult!
"It took Six Thousand Years for Seven Mysterious Mountain to amass its current scale."
"Even so, there are fewer than a hundred fourth-order Flying Ants in the mountain."
"For the mountain to become entirely Fourth-order would likely take another ten thousand years of accumulation."
At this thought, Chen Jichuan also felt the weight of the task.
But as the saying goes: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Fear not hardships, nor halt before obstacles.
"I’ve always been adept at making money."
"Since Spirit Stones are the key, it simplifies things."
Chen Jichuan calmed his thoughts.
He immersed himself in exploring and studying the "Hundred Insects Scripture", focusing on the cultivation of the ’Golden Backed Mantis’ and ’Seven Mysterious Flying Ants.’
He sunk deeply into this endeavor.
Time passed unnoticed.
Year after year.
...