Capítulo 135: O Espírito Celestial Devora-Almas – Parte 1

"Ancestral, a thousand fathoms below lies the Canglang Water Palace. The billion-year-old Meteorite Essence Mother is there. However, it is said that the old ghost Xuanwu residing within is not to be trifled with and has many friends and allies. Now that your power has been restored and your divine arts perfected, this is the perfect opportunity to establish your prestige and unify the overseas cultivation world. With the strength of the overseas cultivation world, annihilating the Central Plains sects would be as easy as turning over one's hand. Your grand ambition is within reach!" Tianxuan Blood Demon was currently brimming with satisfaction. Stepping on a sticky, blood-red cloud the size of a water vat, he fawned over the Dharma King Xuanyuan, his entire being exuding an astonishingly thick, chilling aura. It was evident that his cultivation had advanced significantly.

"What is this Xuanwu old ghost? He is merely a turtle. How can he compare to the divine might of our Ancestral? When our Ancestral conquered the Shushan Sect back in the day, this turtle probably hadn't even taken human form. Now, for our Ancestral to recruit him and take his Canglang Water Palace is giving him face. Otherwise, with our Ancestral's magical powers, he would have been refined long ago. Could he have lasted until today?" Another blood shadow circling beside the Dharma King Xuanyuan spoke even more arrogantly, its voice sharp and grating, like a night owl screeching in the depths of the night, causing one's hair to stand on end.

"I say, Dharma King! Why are your subordinates all such arrogant fools? Daoist Xuanwu is someone who has already passed a minor heavenly tribulation; his magical power is profound. Coupled with the cave dwelling of an ancient water immortal, he possesses countless magical treasures and spiritual medicines—dozens of times stronger than your Mingmo Island. If your power had returned to its peak, you could naturally sweep across the world, but as it stands, you can't even handle this little lady. How can you dream of unifying the overseas cultivation world?" A rift appeared in the void, revealing a figure of peerless grace and elegance. Dressed in flowing white robes, she exuded a faint, intoxicating fragrance that stirred the heart. This woman was none other than Wen Lanxin, an old acquaintance of Zhou Qing.

Seeing Wen Lanxin emerge from the void and spout sarcasm, the Tianxuan Blood Demon and the other two circling blood shadows retreated timidly, behaving with complete decorum, as if they were deeply fearful of her.

Dharma King Xuanyuan glanced at Wen Lanxin and snorted coldly: "Don't think that because you have refined the Mysterious Female Pearl and condensed a second primordial spirit, I cannot deal with you. Your grandmaster’s cultivation was a hundred times deeper than yours, yet she still had to obey me. I am simply not bickering with you for now."

"You bunch of trash! You have cultivated for so long and wasted so many of my gathered souls, only to reach the late stage of Spirit Transformation. What use are you!" Dharma King Xuanyuan reprimanded the Tianxuan Blood Demon and the two blood shadows fiercely. Upon seeing the Dharma King's rage, all three trembled uncontrollably.

In less than a year, advancing from the mid-stage to the late-stage of Spirit Transformation was a speed that would terrify any cultivator in the world. Yet, Dharma King Xuanyuan remained unsatisfied—such was his impossibly high standard. However, the three dared not refute him, nor utter a word, fearing that a moment of displeasure from the Dharma King would result in their souls being extinguished. The three were creations of the Dharma King; with a single thought, he could reduce them to dust.

Wen Lanxin giggled: "I was only joking, why is the Dharma King so angry? Your cultivation is profound, but your temper is becoming increasingly volatile; that is not a good sign!"

Ever since Wen Lanxin gained significant benefits in the underground chambers of Changping, she had used the power of dozens of military ghosts to refine the Mysterious Female Pearl and condense a second primordial spirit, greatly increasing her strength. As a master of the demonic path, she utilized these ghosts far more efficiently than Zhou Qing ever could.

Dharma King Xuanyuan's power had reached an unfathomable level, to the point where even Wen Lanxin felt unable to see through him. Although she knew this peerless demon had not fully recovered his strength, she realized she could not match him. For now, they were in a state of cooperation. Her occasional teasing was one thing, but if they were to truly fall out, despite her second primordial spirit, she had no confidence in defeating him.

After the two had ambushed Zhou Qing in the Sima Passage, they lingered, coveting his Blood-Transforming Blade and the remaining ghosts. Seeing no ghosts escape, they sensed something amiss and ventured back in, only to find the underground area turned into magma by the True Fire of the Stars, discovering no trace of him. They assumed Zhou Qing had perished.

Dharma King Xuanyuan returned to Mingmo Island to cultivate and restore his power, while Wen Lanxin, having no foothold in the Central Plains, followed him. They spent time refining the batch of ghosts, only succeeding recently. Despite their progress, their subordinates were lacking—Wen Lanxin was alone, and the Dharma King had only his three meager shadows. They were ill-equipped to deal with the numerous sects of the Central Plains.

They set their sights on the powerful rogue cultivators of the overseas regions, who were mostly of demon origin. The Dharma King came primarily because he heard that Daoist Xuanwu had extensive connections. If he could persuade Xuanwu, annihilating the Central Plains sects would be effortless.

If Daoist Xuanwu agreed, all would be well. If not, the Dharma King—hardly a benevolent soul—would use the opportunity to establish his authority, seize the Canglang Water Palace, and bolster his strength. Although the overseas rogue cultivators were powerful, they were few in number and rarely interacted. Even with Xuanwu’s connections, in a real fight, only a dozen or so would come to help—hardly comparable to the Central Plains sects, who could mobilize thousands and overwhelm you with sheer numbers and powerful artifacts.

Though Daoist Xuanwu was powerful and his palace filled with expert demons, the Dharma King had his own reliance and methods.

"I hear the Canglang Water Palace is carved entirely from a billion-year-old Meteorite Essence Mother. I must see which immortal had such grand ambition. Perhaps only the Yuxu Palace of Kunlun can compare. Such a blessed land is the dream of every cultivator. I wonder what kind of luck that turtle had to obtain it." Though Wen Lanxin had never seen the palace, she had heard many rumors and had long coveted it, which was why she agreed to cooperate with the Dharma King.

"A thousand fathoms underwater is difficult to reach, and such an immortal palace is layered with prohibitions. Our priority is to persuade that turtle. However, rumors say he is hospitable but avoids trouble, so success is unlikely. If he refuses, we strike immediately, seize the dwelling, and deal with him later." The Dharma King's words were exactly what Wen Lanxin wanted to hear.

The two displayed their powers. Wen Lanxin unfurled her primary treasure, the Ten Thousand Demon Banner. The gods and demons on the banner were now fully formed—three zhang tall, with heads like winnowing baskets, black curved horns, green faces, and terrifying fangs. They were naked, with long, powerful arms, holding giant scythes forged from ghostly demonic energy. The terrifying aura they emitted rivaled that of top-tier demonic weapons.

Wen Lanxin shook the banner, and black mist rolled out, enveloping her as she descended, forcing the seawater away and diving deep into the ocean, ignoring the Dharma King and his entourage.

"Ancestral, that woman relies on her cultivation to disregard you. It is truly hateful. If I were strong enough, I would certainly teach her a lesson," the Tianxuan Blood Demon said cautiously, seeing the Dharma King's expression soften.

"Hmph! You bunch of trash, your cultivation is not worth mentioning. That woman has condensed a second primordial spirit; you are no match for her. Do not sow discord before me. The old turtle and his people below are likely at the Void-Returning stage. Without her help, things would be difficult. I have a trump card, but dealing with so many at that stage is beyond my reach. You three, act carefully. Once the fighting starts, coordinate your Blood River Formation to kill the weaker demons and seize their inner alchemy to boost your power," the Dharma King commanded sternly.

He had learned that besides Xuanwu, there were two others at the Void-Returning stage and seven or eight at the late Spirit Transformation stage—a formidable strength, but manageable for him and Wen Lanxin combined.

Dharma King Xuanyuan did not reveal any treasures. With a flicker of his body, a yellow light enveloped the Tianxuan Blood Demon, and they slipped into the sea without a sound or a splash.

"I have been cultivating in the deep ocean for ages, rarely venturing out. I never knew a personage such as Daoist Xuanwu existed. It is truly a regret that we met so late. I imagine that in the overseas cultivation world, you are the most respected, Brother Xuanwu?" Fairy Yunxia smiled as she watched Zhou Qing shower praises upon Daoist Xuanwu, all while sensing the rich spiritual energy within the palace.

The chamber was vast; the walls, chairs, and tables were all part of a single, monolithic piece of stone, as if grown from the massive Meteorite Essence Mother. The furniture was fixed and immovable, yet arranged with ingenious precision. Even the most skilled artisan would struggle to carve such things from ordinary stone, let alone from a ten-thousand-acre meteorite.

"Haha, you are too kind. In the vast ocean, there are many brilliant cultivators. I am merely fortunate to have these connections. As for profound cultivation, I hardly rank among the best."

"Oh? Perhaps you could tell me about them, so I might learn of these masters' brilliance." Zhou Qing intended to gain a true understanding of the overseas cultivation world.

Daoist Xuanwu’s disciples were all off cultivating, wasting not a moment—the spiritual energy here made progress much faster than outside. The Three Sages of Heavenly Water were also collecting rare herbs to use the palace’s furnace; a furnace made of billion-year-old meteorite would produce pills of a much higher grade.

Thus, only Daoist Xuanwu, Zhou Qing, and Fairy Yunxia remained in the hall.

At Zhou Qing's inquiry, Xuanwu stroked his thin, yellowing beard and said proudly: "I do know a few. The most powerful is the old toad five thousand fathoms deep in the East Sea. He is my close friend. A six-eyed green toad, he reached the late Void-Returning stage a thousand years ago and has passed six heavenly tribulations, with only three left. He has spent the last few centuries in seclusion refining treasures in his 'Purple Wave Jade Mansion.' It’s not as grand as this palace, but it's not small either, though difficult to reach. There is also the Blue God Ancestor of the Antarctic Bright Mirror, the Mighty Bear King of the Arctic Bliss Palace, the Extreme Yin Daoist of the North Sea Mysterious Yin Island, and Abbess Wuzhen of the South Sea Putuo Mountain. These are all figures who have passed various great tribulations; I am far behind them! However, these masters live in solitude with few disciples. Especially that old toad, living alone in his vast mansion—it's a waste of such a magnificent dwelling."

Zhou Qing and Fairy Yunxia exchanged glances, shocked by the strength of the overseas cultivation world. Those who had passed the great tribulations were little different from true immortals.

Listening to Xuanwu describe the power dynamics, the two gained a rough understanding of the overseas world. In terms of numbers, there were barely a thousand notable cultivators—fewer than a single large sect in the Central Plains. Yet, every one of them was an expert. A mid-stage Spirit Transformation cultivator, while not top-tier in the Central Plains, was highly valued, whereas here, they were merely errand runners.

Daoist Xuanwu was at the mid-Void-Returning stage, having passed one minor tribulation, barely ranking among the notables.

The others who had just entered the Void-Returning stage numbered at least four or five hundred, but they were scattered. Having seven or eight disciples like Xuanwu was extremely rare.

"There was once a Daoist Tengjiao in the North Sea, but he was arrogant and committed too many sins, so he was struck down by heavenly thunder," Xuanwu added.

As they spoke, a voice echoed throughout the palace: "Wang Zhong, Master of Mingmo Island, requests an audience with Daoist Xuanwu, Master of the Canglang Water Palace! I hope you will grant us a meeting." The tone was courteous, like that of a genuine friend paying a visit.