...
As they spoke, Wang Yingrong led Wang Shouzhe to the core of the fire spirit vein beneath the fire-element spiritual farmland.
Here, just like the Netherworld Demon Palace, a fire-element spirit hall had been constructed. In this place, the fire spirit veins converged into a rich and dense spiritual energy, forming a large spiritual pool.
The true water in the pool was as red as fire, boiling like magma, with red spiritual mist lingering above it. From a distance, it looked like clouds steaming and glowing, extremely mystical.
Wang Yingrong had other matters to attend to, so after bringing Wang Shouzhe here, she left to handle her own affairs.
Wang Shouzhe approached the edge of the spiritual pool, and as before, after planting the Scarlet Lotus of Immortality, he began to hasten its growth.
However, the grade of the Scarlet Lotus of Immortality was even higher than that of the Netherworld Gold Lotus. Despite his efforts, only a thin underground stem barely sprouted from the seed.
The Scarlet Lotus of Immortality was a supreme spiritual herb, and neither the Immortal nor Demon Dynasties had heard of any alchemical formula using it. No alchemist could refine it into a pill. Thus, even though the Shentu Clan had cultivated the Immortal Lotus Seed, they could only choose to swallow and refine it directly.
Although the energy within the Immortal Lotus Seed was relatively mild, swallowing and refining it directly inevitably led to some loss of medicinal power during the process, making it less effective than refining it into a pill with other spiritual herbs. But there was no other choice.
A supreme spiritual herb was, after all, a supreme spiritual herb.After catalyzing it for more than ten days, the Scarlet Lotus of Immortality finally managed to grow a weak, tender leaf.
Wang Shouzhe finally had a clear understanding of the difficulty in catalyzing this supreme spiritual herb.
With his current cultivation, he might be able to catalyze the Scarlet Lotus of Immortality to bloom, but to mature the lotus seed would likely take an eternity.
"No rush, no rush, take it slow," Wang Shouzhe could only comfort himself this way.
At least, this treasure was the first supreme spiritual herb obtained by the Wang's Clan, greatly enriching the clan's foundation.
Moreover, his current cultivation was only at the Purple Mansion Realm. In a few decades, when he broke through to the Divine Realm, the catalyzing speed would likely see a leap in improvement.
By then, perhaps he could produce mature Immortal Lotus Seeds.
...
While Wang Shouzhe was busy planting the lotus root.
In the endless void.
Amidst the desolate and cold, seemingly boundless void, fragments of shattered mountains and ancient ruins flew and spun chaotically under the influence of various space vortices. Occasionally, they would collide, scattering countless fragments, which were then devoured by nearby space vortices.
Amidst the spatial turbulence, space cracks were torn open, deep and dark, exuding a chilling sense of danger.
However.
In this chaotic and dangerous space turbulence, a human figure appeared.
It was a handsome young man in blue robes.
He stood with his hands behind his back on a large-headed fish, looking relaxed and calm, as if all the surrounding dangers were insignificant to him.
Even the large-headed fish beneath him, which was neither a whale nor a fish, appeared at ease.
Its long fins gently stirred the void, creating ripples in space, swimming through the space vortices and debris like the most agile fish.
It seemed as if this endless void was the most comfortable and suitable environment for the large-headed fish.
If someone with keen eyesight were present, they would immediately recognize this as the rare space-element immortal beast—Kun!
However, compared to the round and chubby, still immature Wang Zongkun, this Kun was undoubtedly larger, with more slender and graceful lines, appearing more beautiful and elegant, clearly nearing adulthood.
"Sima Wuyou, I really believed you," the Kun grumbled as it brushed past a space vortex, "I don't know what possessed me to accompany you to this godforsaken place, the Domain of Destruction. This place was a barren wasteland a million years ago, how could there be any heaven-defying opportunities here?"
From the tone of the Kun, it was actually a female Kun.
Moreover, even in the void, powerful individuals could resonate space, creating vibrations similar to sound for communication.
"Sister Yukun~ I stumbled upon some ancient records in our clan's archives, which led me to some clues," the blue-robed young man, Sima Wuyou, smiled, unfazed by the Kun's complaints. "I verified it for a long time before finally finding some leads. Back then, the Mystic Spirit Saintess chased an evil thief all the way to this Domain of Destruction, and was never heard from again."
"Our Sima Clan's ancestor assisted the Mystic Spirit Saintess in hunting down the thief, so we know some clues, which were secretly recorded. If we can find the relics of the Mystic Spirit Saintess and the lost 'Primordial Water Sacred Diagram' that disappeared with her, we'll hit the jackpot."
"The Mystic Spirit Saintess?" The female Kun named Yukun was visibly shocked upon hearing the name, then suddenly realized, "No way! After the Mystic Spirit Saintess incident, even the great elders personally investigated the clues, but found nothing. How could you possibly find any leads?"
Yukun's tone was full of skepticism.
"Sister Yukun, our Sima Clan is a holy clan, an ancient and powerful lineage," Sima Wuyou said confidently. "We possess many ancient secrets."
As they spoke, a massive fragment of ancient ruins came hurtling towards them, about to smash into Sima Wuyou and Yukun.
At this moment.
A celestial book suddenly appeared above the young man's head.
The book had a black cover, resembling a tome, but the aura it emitted was more vast and profound, carrying an indescribable spiritual charm that inspired awe.
Under the book's radiance, he calmly formed a hand seal, and a surge of immortal spirit energy gathered at his fingertips, transforming into a sharp beam that struck the fragment of ruins.
"Boom!"
The fragment shattered into countless pieces, which merely caused ripples when they hit their protective aura.
"Sima Wuyou, your 'Mystic Water Heaven-Breaking Finger' has grown much stronger. Even a Void Realm expert would likely avoid a direct confrontation with such a strike," Yukun praised.
"Naturally," Sima Wuyou said proudly. "The family immortal scripture I inherited, the 'Mystic Water True Immortal Scripture,' is renowned for its 'softness within strength, unbreakable by anything.' Sister Yukun, look in that direction, especially for any unusual spatial fluctuations."
"Got it." Yukun flicked her tail, changing direction, while grumbling, "Don't get too cocky. You're already nearing the later stages of the Divine Realm, but your bloodline is still only at the third rank of the Heavenly Son. If you don't find a special opportunity, you might be stuck in the mid-stage of the True Immortal Realm for life."
"Sister Yukun, rest assured, I will find an opportunity to enhance my bloodline, and I will definitely find the lost 'Primordial Water Sacred Diagram,'" Sima Wuyou said confidently.
Suddenly, he looked in a direction, his expression changing: "Huh? There seems to be a broken space rift there... Let me give it a try."
Saying this, he took out a white jade pendant.
The jade pendant was ancient in design, engraved with dense ancient runes, appearing extremely mysterious.
He gripped the jade pendant, and a vast amount of profound energy flowed into it from his fingertips, sending out waves of invisible energy like ripples.
"What are you doing with the Sima Clan's 'Eight Directions Jade Pendant'?" Yukun felt the fluctuations above her head and was puzzled, "Do you think there might be Sima Clan members in this godforsaken place's space rift? And they just happen to be noble bloodline members qualified to possess the 'Eight Directions Jade Pendant'?"
"How would we know if we don't try?" Sima Wuyou chuckled, "I told you, Sister Yukun, don't underestimate the ancient heritage of our Sima Clan. Hmm, there doesn't seem to be any response. Let's change locations and continue searching~"
"Suit yourself. I'll give you a year. If we still can't find any clues, I won't waste time with you anymore."
The man and the Kun spoke as they disappeared into the endless void.
...
At the same time.
On the Han Yue Plateau's Saint Emperor Peak of the Immortal Dynasty, the celestial palace, resembling a heavenly palace, floated as usual among the clouds, casting a hazy rainbow glow under the sunlight.
On the south side of the celestial palace, there was a gate called the Ascending to Immortality Gate.
As the external portal of the celestial palace, the Ascending to Immortality Gate had always been a place of frequent incidents. For example, those who wanted to enter the celestial palace but couldn't often linger stubbornly outside the gate.
This time, a woman in the later stages of the Celestial Realm had been standing outside the Ascending to Immortality Gate for over half a year.
During this time, she neither ate nor drank, relying solely on her profound energy. Initially, the gatekeepers and celestial palace disciples tried to persuade her, but after repeated failures, they eventually let her be.
Now, she was extremely weak, her face pale, and her cheeks slightly sunken, looking very desolate and pitiful.
At this moment, a group of people emerged from the Ascending to Immortality Gate.
The woman leading the group was tall and well-proportioned, but her face had a slight baby fat, giving her a cute and playful appearance.
She was Wang Lici, who had just returned from the Demon Realm battlefield.
She seemed to be in a hurry, appearing quite displeased, with Lan Wan'er following closely behind her.
The Demonic Realm Burrowing Rat, shrunk to the size of a palm, lay obediently in her waist pouch, poking its little head out curiously to observe its surroundings, looking carefree.
As soon as the two women and one rat exited the Ascending to Immortality Gate, a round and chubby old man hurriedly chased after them, pleading, "My dear disciple Lici, my precious disciple, I was wrong~ I shouldn't have allowed the Immortal Sovereign to issue an order to bring you back."
"But now that the Demon Realm war has paused, you're my direct disciple. We need to return to the Heaven-Devouring Holy Land to preside over affairs and uphold my reputation, don't we?"
"Greetings, Yuan Yuan True Monarch." Seeing this group, the gatekeepers immediately perked up, greeting them one by one, "Greetings, Miss Lici, Miss Wan'er."
Yuan Yuan True Monarch was the master of the Heaven-Devouring Holy Land, a formidable Void Realm elder. Wang Lici and Lan Wan'er were also well-known, having repeatedly achieved great feats on the outer region battlefield.
"Master, although the war has temporarily ended, my 'Demon Realm Gourmet Guide' is still incomplete." Wang Lici puffed her cheeks in anger, "I was just about to explore the Demon Realm for new and unseen delicacies when the Immortal Sovereign forcibly summoned me back. I didn't expect it to be your idea~"
"Oh, my precious disciple." Yuan Yuan True Monarch stomped his foot, "Do you really think the Demon Realm is our private playground to wander at will? If anything happened to you, how could I live? Boohoo~"
"In any case, Master, you ruined my plans, so you must compensate me." Wang Lici remained indignant.
"Compensation, sure, sure, whatever you want, as long as I have it, it's yours. Even the future of our Heaven-Devouring Holy Land is yours." Yuan Yuan True Monarch beamed, pulling out treasures from his storage ring, "Here's the leg meat and tenderloin of a ninth-grade Earth Dragon, and a pair of Azure Luan wings and neck, all prepared in a spicy flavor for you. Oh, and here's some eleventh-grade sea beast meat~~"
Seeing this pile of delicacies, Wang Lici's anger dissipated, replaced by a drooling expression: "Master, if you had told me you had so much good food, I would have returned sooner."
Then, she happily pulled Lan Wan'er along to stash the delicacies into her storage ring.
"Hahaha, my disciple loves to eat, so I must find all the good food for her." Yuan Yuan True Monarch patted his chest, showing a "Lici, I'll take care of you" attitude.
"Thank you, Master, you're so good to me." Wang Lici became even more affectionate towards Yuan Yuan True Monarch.
The nearby gatekeepers watched enviously.
Truly, comparing oneself to others only brings frustration. Miss Lici was indeed blessed.
The haggard girl standing outside the Ascending to Immortality Gate also watched enviously.
After the master and disciple exchanged affection, Yuan Yuan True Monarch, seeing that Lici was appeased, returned to the celestial palace to continue discussing matters with the Immortal Sovereign.
At this time, after tidying up the delicacies, Wang Lici noticed the haggard girl.
She couldn't help but ask the gatekeeper, "Gatekeeper brother, who is that girl? Why isn't she allowed into the celestial palace?"
"Oh, Miss Lici, you're too polite." The gatekeeper nodded and bowed, "That is Princess Haige. It's not that we won't let her in, but her request is too demanding for the Immortal Sovereign. We've advised her to leave, but she's stubbornly stood here for half a year... Isn't this putting pressure on the celestial palace?"
"What does she want? Even the Immortal Sovereign is troubled. Tell me, I'd love to hear it." Wang Lici's eyes lit up.
She was currently displeased with the Immortal Sovereign, as she had been forcibly summoned back by him.
"It's an unrealistic request. This Princess Haige is a princess of the fallen former Xia Kingdom. She wants the Immortal Dynasty to send troops to help her reclaim the former Xia Kingdom. It's said she's approached many clans, even the Immortal Emperor's Palace, but all have turned her away."
"Indeed, the situation is increasingly leaning towards cooperation between the Immortal and Demon Dynasties to resist the Demon Realm invasion. Recently, the third prince of the Demon Dynasty even led troops to support our Immortal Dynasty base. The atmosphere is gradually warming, so how could the Immortal Dynasty easily start a conflict with the Demon Dynasty?" Another gatekeeper added, "But this former Xia princess is relentless..."
The gatekeeper's tone was filled with helplessness and sighs, both admiring the princess's determination and lamenting her inability to grasp the situation.
If Wang Shouzhe were here, he would likely recognize that this woman was the exiled princess he had casually saved at sea.
"I see." Wang Lici nodded, then approached and grabbed Princess Haige, saying, "Come, come, come with me. I'll get you something to eat. Food is essential. You've gone without for half a year, and your body is suffering."
"I won't leave. I demand to see the Immortal Sovereign." Princess Haige stubbornly said, "Please let me go."
But Wang Lici didn't listen, effortlessly hoisting her onto her shoulder and flying towards the Heaven-Devouring Holy Land: "This won't work. I'll feed you first, then take you to see the Immortal Sovereign." In the sky, Wang Lici casually explained.
"Really?" Princess Haige stopped struggling.
"Why would I lie? But I can't guarantee the Immortal Sovereign will agree to your request," Wang Lici said, "Anyway, the Immortal Sovereign is probably troubled by your matter. Let him be more troubled."
The Heaven-Devouring Holy Land wasn't far from the celestial palace, and with Wang Lici's improved bloodline, her divine escape technique was incredibly fast, like a shooting star.
In no time, she brought Princess Haige back to the Heaven-Devouring Holy Land.
Lan Wan'er followed closely behind.
Wang Lici had lived in the Heaven-Devouring Holy Land for several years, and Yuan Yuan True Monarch doted on her like a treasure, so she naturally had her own courtyard. Moreover, it was a luxurious villa with a large area.
Back in her courtyard, Wang Lici happily set up a barbecue grill.
The grill was extraordinary, not only made of exceptional materials but also fueled by high-grade spiritual wood charcoal.
She then took out fresh meat, marinated it with various fresh Demon Realm spices, and placed it on the grill.
In no time, the courtyard was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of grilled meat.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"
The Demonic Realm Burrowing Rat had already crawled out of its pouch, hopping around eagerly, drooling with anticipation.
"Don't rush, don't rush, let's serve the guest first." Wang Lici casually sliced some tender meat for Princess Haige, advising her, "Take small bites to start, and eat more once your appetite is whetted."
Princess Haige took small bites, tears suddenly welling up: "Thank you for helping me, senior. What's your name? I've visited many relatives in the Immortal Dynasty, but no one has helped me like this."
Though she hadn't fought, just from being grabbed earlier, she could tell that this "young girl" before her, who seemed even younger than herself, had a cultivation far above her own, likely at least in the Purple Mansion Realm.
"Don't call me senior, I'm Wang Lici."
"So you're Fairy Lici. I'm Sima Ruonan, just a princess of a kingdom that fell over three thousand years ago."
"Then eat more. You'll need strength to restore your kingdom." Wang Lici began feeding her large mouthfuls.
"......"
Princess Haige found the food inexplicably delicious, feeling warm inside.
Only the Demonic Realm Burrowing Rat watched hungrily, unable to eat, drooling with desire.
Suddenly.
Wang Lici's feeding paused, staring in shock at Princess Haige's... chest: "Huh? Why is your chest glowing?"
"Ah!"
Princess Haige exclaimed, quickly covering her chest with a blush.
After a while, she slowly took out a jade pendant.
The jade pendant was pure white, ancient in design, now flickering with light. Mysterious runes seemed to appear and disappear in the glow, emitting a mysterious and obscure power.
Princess Haige looked at the jade pendant in confusion, just as puzzled as Wang Lici: "This is a jade pendant passed down from our Sima Clan ancestors. I don't know why it's glowing."
...