“We can’t stay here long, let’s go!” Li Mu shouted in a low voice, and the Chaos Town Yuan Disk unfolded again, transforming into a Chaos light barrier that enveloped everyone.
The Azure Moon True Dragon let out a long cry, its Dragon claws tearing through the Void Realm, leading everyone to quickly escape from the Secret Realm of Heavenly Ruins. Soon after they left, the golden world behind them completely collapsed, turning into countless golden fragments that dissipated into the Void Realm.
“Li Dage, where are we going next?” Xue’er looked at Li Mu and asked curiously.
Li Mu sensed the location of the last wisp of his separated Soul, and his gaze turned eastward, saying in a deep voice, “Our next target is the Xuanhuang Earth Bead, it is hidden deep within Tianqing Mountain!”
“Tianqing Mountain?” The Azure Jade Ginseng King was slightly stunned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, and he exclaimed, “Legend has it that Tianqing Mountain was one of the divine mountains that supported heaven and earth in ancient times, and it already collapsed in the Primordial Great War. Could it still exist in the world?”
“Ginseng King, you are truly knowledgeable, you even know such secret legends!” Li Mu looked at the Azure Jade Ginseng King and asked in surprise.
“Master, you don’t know, the Ginseng King is a busybody. Before, he was on good terms with several Elders of the Seven Profound Sect and often mingled in the libraries of various Sects, poring over ancient texts and secret scriptures, so he naturally knows more than us.” The Green-Eyed Golden Ape chuckled, scratched his head, and his tone carried a hint of teasing.
Hearing this, the Azure Jade Ginseng King was not annoyed, he merely stroked his long beard and continued with a smile, “This old man has merely lived a bit longer, so I naturally have more knowledge. However, the legend of Tianqing Mountain is indeed extraordinary. Legend has it that this mountain was one of the four great divine mountains that supported the Spirit Realm in ancient times. Unfortunately, during the Ancient Great War, Tianqing Mountain was severed by a mighty cultivator with a single sword strike, its mountain body collapsed, and its Earth pulse fractured, and from then on, its fame dwindled.”
“Oh! How much more do you know about Tianqing Mountain?” A hint of interest flashed in Li Mu’s eyes as he looked at the Azure Jade Ginseng King, motioning for him to continue.
The Azure Jade Ginseng King nodded and continued, “According to ancient records, this mountain was formed by the condensation of Xuanhuang Mother Qi. Its mountain body is crystal clear like jade, and its roots extend deep into the Earth pulse, connecting to endless Earth pulse power. Innumerable Innate True Spirits were nurtured within the mountain, the most famous among them being ‘Earth Mother’ and ‘Xuanhuang True Dragon’.”
“Earth Mother? Xuanhuang True Dragon?” Xue’er blinked her eyes and asked curiously, “What kind of existences are they?”
The Azure Jade Ginseng King smiled slightly and explained, “The Earth Mother was transformed from the mountain spirit of Tianqing Mountain, wielding the Origin power of the earth, with boundless might. Legend has it that she once protected all living beings with the power of the earth, and could even contend with Outer Realm Heavenly Demons. As for the Xuanhuang True Dragon, it was a True Spirit nurtured by the Earth pulse of Tianqing Mountain. Its body was formed by the condensation of Xuanhuang Mother Qi, controlling the power of the Earth pulse, possessing the power to overturn rivers and seas, move mountains and fill oceans. It was a true overlord of heaven and earth. However, after the Primordial Great War, these two great existences also vanished without a trace with the collapse of Tianqing Mountain, leaving behind only endless legends and mysteries.”
…
As they spoke, the Azure Moon True Dragon sped through the air, leading everyone towards Tianqing Mountain.
Seven days later, everyone finally arrived at the edge of Tianqing Mountain. The Azure Moon True Dragon flew out of the cloud sea and slowly descended. The magnetic field ahead was violent, and sandstorms raged, making it unsuitable for flying into.
At this moment, as the morning sun rose, a crimson desert unfolded before their eyes. Amidst the rising heat waves, distant mountain shadows resembled crouching giant beasts, a sight that left them in awe.
The earth writhed as if alive, and ten thousand miles of yellow sand condensed into countless vortices. At the center of each vortex stood a towering sand pillar, like a giant pillar connecting heaven and earth. The strong winds howled, and sandstorms raged, as if to devour everything.
“The Earth Origin power here is boundless!” The Azure Jade Ginseng King frowned, clearly feeling the violent power surging within the Earth pulse, which even his Yi Wood essence Qi found difficult to penetrate.
“Such dense Earth Origin power, I seem to have also sensed the aura of the Earth Bead!” Ink Jade Rock Lizard - Xiao Wa showed a dazed expression, his eyes sparkling with bright light, and he said excitedly.
Li Mu smiled slightly and activated his Chaotic Dao Domain. His Divine Thought penetrated through layers of sandstorms, revealing a colossal creature lurking deep within the Earth pulse—the Xuanming Earth Tortoise, emitting heart-palpitating fluctuations.
“Be careful, there’s an ambush!”
Li Mu reminded everyone.
No sooner had Li Mu finished speaking than the earth suddenly trembled, countless sand pillars exploded, and yellow sand swept over like a raging tide. Every grain of sand was enveloped in geo-magnetic light, distorting spatial trajectories and forming a sky-obscuring sand blade storm that roared towards everyone.
“Xue’er, freeze the Kun position Earth pulse!” Li Mu quickly ordered.
Xue’er’s nine tails unfurled, and the Nine Yin Cold Pearl erupted with extreme freezing Qi, ice spreading inversely along the sand blade’s trajectory, solidifying a hundred-mile sandstorm into an ice crystal maze.
“Five Elements Earth counters Water? This Lord insists on disrupting Yin and Yang!” Li Mu pointed his fingers into the Void Realm, and the Chaos Spirit Banner appeared with it. With a shake of the banner, it stirred up monstrous waves.
The monstrous waves stirred up by the Chaos Spirit Banner crashed against the sandstorm, and as water vapor steamed, it actually condensed into a hundreds of feet tall ice crystal barrier. The phantom of the Xuanming Earth Tortoise flickered in and out of sight deep within the sandstorm, and the cracks densely covering its shell suddenly erupted with a faint blue light.
The Earth Tortoise let out an earth-shattering roar, manifesting a ten-thousand-foot mountain peak phantom. A mountain god Dharma Idol appeared on the peak, and the geo-magnetic gravity of the entire mountain range surged ten thousand times.
“Xiao Wa, stabilize the Earth pulse!” Li Mu ordered again.
“Alright!” The Ink Jade Rock Lizard roared, throwing out a yellow Earth seal. The Wutu essence condensed into Xuanhuang chains that plunged into the earth’s core. The chains snaked like Dragons and snakes, instantly locking the Earth pulse firmly.
The ten-thousand-foot mountain peak phantom of the Xuanming Earth Tortoise paused slightly, and the surging trend of geo-magnetic gravity was forcibly suppressed. However, the Xuanming Earth Tortoise’s roar grew even more furious, and the faint blue light on its shell suddenly intensified, unwilling for its power to be suppressed, attempting to regain control of the Earth pulse.
The Green-Eyed Golden Ape seized the opportunity to swing its staff at the mountain god Dharma Idol. The Jin Gang Dragon Snake Staff met the wind and instantly magnified a thousandfold, transforming into a golden celestial pillar, carrying the might of destroying heaven and earth, and fiercely smashing towards the mountain god Dharma Idol.
The mountain god Dharma Idol roared, raising its hands to the sky, attempting to withstand this blow. However, the power of the Jin Gang Dragon Snake Staff far exceeded its imagination.
“Boom—”
With a loud bang, the mountain god Dharma Idol’s arms instantly shattered, and the golden celestial pillar continued its momentum, directly piercing through its body. The mountain god Dharma Idol let out a mournful wail, then turned into countless shattered stones, dissipating between heaven and earth.
Seeing this, the Xuanming Earth Tortoise’s roar became even more furious, and the faint blue light on its shell suddenly erupted, attempting to break free from the Xuanhuang chains.
However, Li Mu had already anticipated its counterattack. The Chaos Spirit Banner swayed again, and the monstrous waves transformed into countless ice crystal chains, intertwining with the Xuanhuang chains, firmly locking the Xuanming Earth Tortoise.
“Xue’er, freeze its Origin with all your might!” Li Mu shouted in a low voice.
Xue’er’s nine tails danced, and the Nine Yin Cold Pearl bloomed with extreme freezing Qi. Ice spread along the chains, quickly covering the Xuanming Earth Tortoise’s entire body. The Xuanming Earth Tortoise’s roar gradually weakened, and the faint blue light was also frozen bit by bit by the ice.
“Xiao Wa, stabilize the Earth pulse!” Li Mu ordered again.
The Ink Jade Rock Lizard roared, and the Wutu Square Seal shone brightly. The Xuanhuang chains became increasingly solid, and the tremors of the Earth pulse gradually subsided.
The Xuanming Earth Tortoise’s power was completely suppressed. Feeling that Li Mu’s group was not to be trifled with, it had thoughts of retreating. Its massive body slowly sank into the depths of the Earth pulse, eventually disappearing.
Seeing this, Li Mu let out a long sigh of relief, put away the Chaos Spirit Banner, turned to everyone, and said, “The Xuanming Earth Tortoise has retreated, and the Earth pulse is temporarily stable. It’s not easy to cause more trouble, so let’s leave as soon as possible.”
Everyone nodded, putting away their Natal Dao Artifacts one after another, and followed Li Mu, speeding towards the depths of the Tianqing Mountain Range.
After everyone had just crossed the sandstorm wasteland and flown for several hundred miles, they saw a ten-thousand-foot deep abyss suddenly crack open at the end of the crimson desert. Boiling lava surged in the ravines like a sea of blood, and thick smoke billowed, forming a thundercloud-shrouded area where purplish-blue electric arcs flashed.
“Earth Fire Thunder Domain?” The Azure Jade Ginseng King extended a finger to probe. A vine rapidly grew, but as soon as it entered, it was instantly struck by a blue lightning bolt and was turned into charcoal in an instant.
“The Five Elements here are inverted, forming a natural Earthly Fiend formation. A large amount of Evil Qi is locked deep within the magma, and other elemental forces cannot enter either.” The Azure Jade Ginseng King looked at Li Mu with a solemn expression, believing that with his master’s ability, he would surely be able to lead them safely deeper into it.
Li Mu stood at the edge of the lava abyss, and myriad star trajectories flowed in his Chaotic Dao Domain. He gazed at the surging thunderfire, then suddenly raised his hand and pointed to a certain spot: “Seven zhang at the southeast Xun position, a Di Sha vortex appears with a crack every nine breaths—Xue’er, freeze the surface of the magma! Xiao Wa, build a bridge with the Wutu Seal!”
The Nine Yin Cold Pearl burst forth with chilling white cold Qi, instantly solidifying the surface of the boiling lava into a layer of profound ice.
The Ink Jade Rock Lizard roared and hurled out its square seal, a yellowish-brown light screen paving a three-foot-wide path across the ice.
The moment everyone stepped onto it, hundreds of Crimson Refining Fire Phoenixes suddenly shot out from the abyss, each scale shimmering with lightning patterns.
"Little Gold!" Li Mu flung out the Chaos Spirit Banner, and its surface unfolded into a Yin and Yang fish pattern.
Hearing this, the Green-Eyed Golden Ape plunged the Jin Gang Dragon Snake Staff into the ground, and the golden light erupting from the staff formed a barrier as the Fire Phoenixes crashed into it.
The Azure Jade Ginseng King suddenly realized, "These are Earthly Fiend transformations, we can't fight them head-on!"
At this moment, the Crimson Refining Fire Phoenix provided timely assistance, her Fire Feather Fan appearing in her hand.
With a powerful wave, the scorching flames transformed into countless Fire Phoenixes, intertwining with the Crimson Refining Fire Phoenixes.
As the Fire Phoenixes and Fire Phoenixes collided, dazzling light erupted, and scorching energy surged through the abyss, causing the lava to boil again and the ice layer to rapidly melt.
The Azure Moon True Dragon decisively joined the battle, its Dragon Scale Dao Sword transforming into a watery blue sword rainbow, sweeping across the battlefield like a heavenly river pouring down.
The lava from the melting ice layer, guided by the Sword Intent, actually condensed into thousands of ice crystal Dragon in mid-air, intertwining with the Crimson Refining Fire Phoenixes in a chaotic battle.
Seeing this, Li Mu's eyes flashed with a hint of approval.
The Azure Moon True Dragon's Sword Intent perfectly fused with the Nine Yin Cold Pearl's cold Qi, incredibly transforming lava into ice crystal Dragon.
This kind of method was truly extraordinary.
However, the power of the Earth Fire Thunder Domain was still rampant, and the number of Crimson Refining Fire Phoenixes seemed endless.
Although the ice crystal Dragon were strong, they were still unable to completely suppress them.
"Time is pressing, don't get bogged down in battle!" Li Mu shouted in a low voice, opening his Chaotic Dao Domain and tearing open a weak point in the Earth Fire Thunder Domain.
With a wave of his hand, the Chaos Spirit Banner shook again, and the Yin and Yang fish pattern rotated, transforming into a black and white interwoven light curtain that enveloped everyone.
"Follow me!" Li Mu's figure flickered, and he took the lead, speeding towards the southeast direction of the Earth Fire Thunder Domain.
Everyone followed closely.
Xue'er used the Nine Yin Cold Pearl to protect everyone, resisting the erosion of the scorching Earth Fire.
The Ink Jade Rock Lizard used the power of Earth to stabilize their footing, preventing the collapse of the earth veins.
Under the support of Li Mu's Chaotic Dao Domain, the lava solidified, the thunder and fire were annihilated, the Earthly Fiend vortex was forcibly torn apart, and the Crimson Refining Fire Phoenixes all transformed into Evil Qi and dissipated into the air.
After a rapid journey, everyone finally rushed out of the Earth Fire Thunder Domain.
However, after traveling only a few hundred miles, the sight before them made their hearts sink.
They saw a pitch-black swamp stretching ahead, filled with a dense Evil Qi, and countless white bones were vaguely visible floating within it.
A low roar came from the depths of the swamp, as if countless Vicious Beasts were lurking there.
"This is the 'Di Sha Nizer (Earthly Fiend Swamp)'." The Azure Jade Ginseng King's expression was grim as he warned, "The Evil Qi here is extremely dense.
Any living being that enters this place will be eroded by the Earthly Fiend and eventually turn into white bones."
Li Mu's gaze narrowed slightly, and the Chaos Dao Pupils flickered faintly.
His Divine Thought spread out like a tide over the swamp, 'seeing' the depths of the Di Sha Nizer (Earthly Fiend Swamp), where countless scarlet ghost fires lit up in the hollow eye sockets of the evil bone demons, and also the trace of the Xuanhuang Earth Bead.
"The target is inside, we can't go around it, we can only force our way through!" Li Mu said in a deep voice, reminding everyone, "Everyone, guard your minds and do not let the Earthly Fiend erode you."
Everyone nodded, each activating their Cultivation Technique to protect their Divine Soul, and then stepped into the Di Sha Nizer (Earthly Fiend Swamp).
Upon entering the swamp, the surrounding scenery instantly became blurry, and low whispers came from their ears, as if countless people were murmuring, trying to disturb their minds.
Li Mu held his spiritual platform firm, spreading out his Chaotic Dao Domain, protecting and leading everyone to advance steadily.
Suddenly, several dark figures shot out from the swamp, rushing towards everyone.
Upon closer inspection, they were several Vicious Beasts resembling giant crocodiles, their bodies entwined with Evil Qi, their eyes flashing with eerie green light, and their fangs as sharp as blades.
"It's a Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile)!" The Green-Eyed Golden Ape roared, swinging the Jin Gang Dragon Snake Staff to meet them.
The staff's shadow was like a mountain, instantly blasting several Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile) one by one.
However, the death of the Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile) did not make everyone feel relieved.
On the contrary, the Evil Qi in the swamp seemed to be enraged, becoming even more violent.
The whispers gradually became sharp and piercing, as if countless vengeful souls were roaring, trying to tear apart everyone's minds.
Immediately after, the number of Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile) seemed endless, coming in wave after wave.
At this moment, a earth-shattering roar came from the depths of the swamp, and a massive Vicious Beast slowly appeared.
It resembled a Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile), but had three heads and nine tails, its body entwined with pitch-black Evil Qi, exuding a heart-pounding pressure.
Everyone's expressions drastically changed.
The Vicious Beast's pressure was like a knife, wave after wave, constantly impacting Li Mu's Chaotic Dao Domain.
The three hideous heads simultaneously opened their gaping maws.
The left head spewed out pitch-black poisonous mist, which even corroded the Evil Qi, producing sizzling white smoke wherever it passed.
The middle head roared towards the sky, its sound waves causing the swamp mud to churn into a thirty-foot giant wave.
The ghostly fire in the right head's eyes surged, and its nine bony tails fanned out like a peacock's display, each tailbone revealing a twisted, vengeful soul's face.
"It's the Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile)! Its weakness is seven inches behind its middle head!" Li Mu's pupils swirled with Chaos light as he said in a deep voice.
The next moment, Myriad Swords Mountain appeared before Li Mu, smashing towards the Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile) with the force of a thunderbolt.
Myriad Swords Mountain magnified at a visible speed, instantly transforming into a majestic giant peak, its sword light sharp and Sword Qi crisscrossing, as if it wanted to tear apart the entire Di Sha Nizer (Earthly Fiend Swamp).
The Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile) felt this terrifying pressure, and its three heads simultaneously let out earth-shattering roars, its nine bony tails wildly dancing, trying to resist this thunderous strike.
However, how could it easily resist the might of Myriad Swords Mountain?
The Sword Mountain crashed down, and ten thousand Dao Swords flew out from the mountain, pouring down like a torrential rain, instantly tearing apart the pitch-black Evil Qi surrounding the Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile).
The poisonous mist spewed from the left head was shredded by the Sword Qi, the sound waves from the middle head were suppressed by the Sword Mountain, and the ghostly fire in the right head's eyes was directly extinguished by the Sword Qi.
Just as Myriad Swords Mountain was about to crush the core of the Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile), dark red lava suddenly gushed out from the depths of the swamp.
The Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile)'s nine bony tails deeply plunged into the earth veins, actually fusing the Evil Qi and geocentric magma within a ten-mile radius, forming a crimson and black Evil Fire armor around its body.
The severed left head instantly underwent Rebirth, and lava patterns appeared on the surface of its fangs.
"Li Dage, it's reconstructing its Evil body!" Xue'er was slightly startled, reminding Li Mu.
"I see!" Li Mu understood, forming a sword seal with his hand.
With a "buzz," Myriad Swords Mountain vibrated, ten thousand swords chimed in unison, and Sword Qi surged like a rainbow, as if only the endless sword light remained between heaven and earth.
Li Mu's eyes were like lightning, and with a change in his sword seal, Myriad Swords Mountain suddenly contracted, transforming into a towering giant sword.
Chaos Qi swirled around the sword body, exuding world-destroying power.
"Slay!" Li Mu roared in a low voice, and the giant sword, carrying unparalleled might, fiercely slashed down towards the core of the Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile).
The Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile) immediately felt an impending doom.
Wherever the giant sword passed, the Evil Fire armor was torn apart like paper, and the defense formed by the Fusion of Evil Qi and lava was useless before the Chaos Sword Qi.
"Boom—" The giant sword slashed down, and the Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile)'s middle head was instantly shattered, its core at the seven-inch mark completely annihilated by the Sword Qi.
The massive body of the Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile) trembled violently, then crashed down, stirring up a sky full of mud and lava.
However, just as everyone thought the battle was over, a low roar came from the depths of the swamp again.
Immediately after, the Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile)'s corpse actually began to slowly melt, transforming into a pitch-black Evil Qi that surged towards the depths of the swamp.
"Oh no! It's not completely dead!" The Green-Eyed Golden Ape's expression changed, and he gripped his Jin Gang Dragon Snake Staff, vigilantly looking towards the depths of the swamp.
Li Mu frowned slightly, saying solemnly, "The Di Sha Ming E (Earthly Fiend Underworld Crocodile) is connected to the earth veins.
As long as the Evil Qi doesn't dissipate, it can constantly undergo Rebirth.
We must find its Origin to completely obliterate it, otherwise it will keep Entanglement us."
"Never mind it, let's find the Earth Bead first!" Li Mu gestured.
Everyone readily obeyed, following Li Mu as they continued to advance towards the Di Sha Nizer (Earthly Fiend Swamp).
(End of this chapter)
