Chapter 248 - 248 245 Expedition to Conquer the Otherworld
Chapter 248: Chapter 245: Expedition to Conquer the Otherworld Chapter 248: Chapter 245: Expedition to Conquer the Otherworld Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, several days had gone by.
That day, Ning Wuxu called together his disciples early in the morning.
“Today is the day we leave the mountain gate and embark on our expedition to another world.”
He looked seriously at his disciples, especially the youngest and least cultivated Qin Feng, and said, “If you feel that your cultivation is insufficient, it’s not too late to tell me now.
I can leave you at the mountain gate.
Otherwise, once you set out on the journey, there will be no turning back.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Qin Feng bowed and said, “Master, the path of cultivation is not without its bumps and hardships.
Since I have the heart to pursue the Immortal Dao and long life, I should naturally not fear life and death, nor dread adversity.
If I were to retreat now, it would create obstacles in my heart, and I may never achieve anything in this life.
…
Life and death are predestined, and wealth and honor are in heaven’s hands.
I cultivate to break free from the bounds of life and death and escape the prison of fate.
Otherwise, sooner or later, I will not be able to escape death.
So, Master, there’s no need to test my Daoist Heart, and you don’t need to worry too much about my safety.
In this expedition, I will surely not tarnish your reputation and will definitely carve out my own Dao in the other world!”
“Good.”Beside him, the eldest senior brother Zhao Qiankun laughed loudly: “Junior brother speaks rightly with a bit of heroic spirit.
We cultivate exactly for the desire to attain longevity and break free from our restraints, to live freely and attain a measure of carefree ease.
If we are timid and apprehensive, we will surely be halted in our tracks.
This time, your second senior brother and I need to stay behind to guard the mountain gate and cannot join you in the campaign.
Junior brother, since you have the least cultivation among us, take great care.
If you encounter dangers beyond your strength, you should judge your capabilities and withdraw early.”
“Rest assured, big senior brother.”
Qin Feng replied with a smile: “I still aim to achieve the Immortal Dao and enjoy a long and carefree life, so naturally, I will be cautious and won’t recklessly clash with powerful opponents in the other world.”
“Mhm, good, being clever is what keeps one alive longer.”
Zhao Qiankun nodded, reached out, and presented Qin Feng with three dazzling Spirit Talismans, saying, “I went to the Heavenly Talisman Pavilion to get these Defense Spiritual Talismans for you specifically for emergencies—they could save your life.
Don’t hesitate to use them.
They are mere external objects, after all, and nothing when compared to your life.”
“Thank you, big senior brother.”
Qin Feng didn’t stand on ceremony and thanked him before promptly taking the talismans and putting them into his Qiankun Bag.
Hao Shicheng also took out a Storage Bag from his sleeve and handed it to Qin Feng: “Here are some Elixir Pills.
I know the sect has definitely prepared better ones for you True Disciples, but take these too.
We don’t know how long we’ll be in the other world this time, so it doesn’t hurt to have more.”
“In that case, I won’t be shy.”
Qin Feng thanked Hao Shicheng and also put away the Storage Bag he offered.
He then turned his eyes to Liu Xuanling standing beside him.
Liu Xuanling rolled her pretty eyes, stretched out her fair hand, and pushed away the face Qin Feng was bringing closer, huffing, “I’m going to join Master in the campaign just like you.
You’re the one who received gifts, and I haven’t received anything.
And you still expect me to prepare a gift for you now?”
“Heh heh, how could I?”
Qin Feng chuckled awkwardly: “I was wondering if senior sister wanted to have a share of what I got.
Naturally, I wouldn’t be stingy if you needed anything.”
“Hmph, I am a Purple Mansion Cultivator, what use would I have for those Elixir Pills and Spiritual Talismans prepared for a small Foundation Establishment cultivator like you?”
Liu Xuanling couldn’t be bothered with this cheeky junior brother who was playing cute after gaining an advantage and instead glared at the two senior brothers.
Hao Shicheng gave a wry smile: “Junior sister, your cultivation has already surpassed mine.
The Spirit Pills I have are of no use to you; what on my person could be of any use to you?”
Zhao Qiankun pursed his lips: “How about this?
You stay, and I will join Master.
If you agree, you can pick anything you want from my Cave Mansion.”
“Tsck…”
Liu Xuanling turned her head away, ignoring him.
Still want to compete with me for the opportunity?
No chance!
With an amused smile, Ning Wuxu waved his hand, and several streaks of Spirit Light landed in front of Liu Xuanling and Qin Feng.
He said, “These are the treasures I have prepared for you.
Feng, your cultivation is modest, so I have primarily prepared items for preserving life and escaping.
Just use them as you see fit.
As for Xuanling, you girl have a bit of a fondness for taking risks at the sharp edge of the sword, which is not a good thing.
Once you arrive in the otherworld, you must remember not to be reckless without having a clear understanding of the power distribution of the otherworld.
After all, there are quite a few Demon Gods there.
Even I cannot guarantee a safe return, let alone you.”
“Master, rest assured, your disciple understands.”
Liu Xuanling, with a joyful smile, took the treasures bestowed by her master, played with them for a moment in her hands, and then stowed them away with a flip of her hand.
After thanking his master, Qin Feng also examined the items that his master had given him.
In addition to a magic robe with restrained spirit light, there were also two bottles of life-preserving Spirit Pills and three Jade Talismans.
Two of the Jade Talismans were the same as the one Ning Wuxu had given him before, designed for escaping, and the third was an offensive Jade Talisman capable of exerting the power of a single strike at the Purple Mansion Realm level, which was the most powerful Jade Talisman he could barely activate with his current level of cultivation.
It wasn’t that Ning Wuxu was unwilling to prepare more for him but rather that the Sect provides a wealth of resources to True Disciples; however, they would not coddle them like spoiled infants.
Generally speaking, a few life-preserving Spiritual Objects were enough.
The rest depended on them to judge the situation and to go through various tribulations.
They were not allowed to abuse these treasures at will, as this would not benefit their growth.
After instructing Zhao Qiankun and Hao Shicheng for a moment, Ning Wuxu then stood up with them and left Heavenly Snake Ridge.
Once they flew out of the Mountain Gate, Ning Wuxu turned to Zhao Qiankun and Hao Shicheng and said, “That’s enough, we are leaving, you don’t need to follow.”
“Master, take care.”
The two bowed respectfully, then bade Liu Xuanling and Qin Feng a fond farewell.
They stayed where they were, watching as Ning Wuxu and the others boarded a massive Tower Ship.
The Tower Ship was a thousand zhang long and a hundred zhang wide, its huge form reminiscent of an ancient beast.
At the prow, a giant beast’s head was specially refined—a mixture of dragon and snake, with a sharp battering horn growing from its forehead that jutted out thirty zhang long, like a sword that could pierce the Cangqiong heavens.
Equal in size to this Tower Ship were a dozen more, each with a different shaped beast’s head at the front, including the White Tiger, the Profound Turtle, the Vermilion Bird, Bull Head, Xiezhi, and Wild Beasts, looking from a distance like a group of ancient fierce beasts, exuding formidable ferocity that could capture the soul.
These were the rides of the nine lines of the Beast Taming Sect, as well as those of the Law Enforcement Hall and the Demon Hunting Hall elders for this expedition, and were also their most powerful War Fortresses for attacking the otherworld.
Each of these Tower Ships possessed immense siege and defensive capabilities and could also serve as troop carriers for transporting a large number of disciples to conquer various places.
At the same time, from within the Mountain Gate of the Beast Taming Sect, Tower Ships and Flying Boats of various sizes continuously flew out, lining up by size and order behind their Tower Ships.
Following this was the sight of countless Spiritual Beasts flying out from the Mountain Gate.
The sky was covered, dense and innumerable, and at first glance, it was difficult to discern just how many there were.
Many Spiritual Beasts carried a Beast Taming Sect disciple on their backs.
They had solemn expressions and stern faces as they landed on the Tower Ships.
These disciples did not store their Spiritual Beasts away but allowed them to crowd on the already spacious decks of the Tower Ships.
As a result, many Spiritual Beasts did not even have a place to land, so even more stood on the masts, hung on the sails, perched on the railings, or simply flew in the air, surrounding the Tower Ships as guards.
Though it appeared crowded, there was no doubt that such a massive force was sufficient to calm the hearts of all those about to go on the expedition.
They believed that they would be invincible in the face of such enormous strength.
Indeed, those several hundred thousand Beast Taming Sect disciples, along with the dense army of Spiritual Beasts, not only filled their own disciples with confidence but also left the cultivators from other places who were watching in utter shock.
They had always known that the Beast Taming Sect was powerful, but it was not until this moment that they realized the Sect was even more powerful than they had imagined.
Just the departing disciples numbered in the hundreds of thousands, and with Spiritual Beasts several times their number, it was hard to imagine how powerful a force it was.
And this was only half of the manpower mobilized by the Beast Taming Sect.
The power they had left behind at the very least equaled this number, not to mention the strength hidden within their Cave Heaven World was not something outsiders could ascertain.
“So, this is why the Beast Taming Sect recruits so many disciples every year!”
Those cultivators from afar, witnessing the scene, were all filled with admiration.
A middle-aged man clothed in an exquisite Daoist robe and exuding a graceful demeanor couldn’t help but let out a light sigh, “It’s a pity that even though our Sect has the desire to expand, we don’t dare recruit disciples as lavishly as the Beast Taming Sect does each year.”
“Alas…”
Beside him, a plump woman resembling a young wife sighed softly, “In the past, when I saw the Beast Taming Sect recruiting so many disciples, I even laughed at them in secret, thinking that by recruiting so many, it would surely exhaust the Sect’s foundation.
Now that I behold this spectacle, I realize that the depth of the Beast Taming Sect’s foundation is beyond what cultivators from small families like mine could ever imagine.”
Just as various cultivators from the periphery were expressing their admiration, two factions slowly flew in from the back, each coming to a halt about a thousand zhang to the left and right of the area occupied by the Beast Taming Sect.
At the forefront of one faction was a massive mountain peak, rising a thousand zhang high, its surface crowded with men and women donned in colorful garments.
Behind them was a slightly disorderly, yet terrifyingly imposing array of various large-size Flying Escape Treasures, including Tower Ships, palaces, banners, gourds, and Spirit Banners.
On each Magical Treasure stood numerous disciples of the Five Poisons Sect, and around them, an array of strange Poison Insects continuously fluttered back and forth.
Comparatively, when the Five Poisons Sect wasn’t utilizing Poison Insects, they appeared quite agreeable, with many colorfully dressed female disciples one by one beautiful of face, revealing fair waists and calves, drawing the eyes of onlooking young cultivators to brighten.
However, the other faction was rather gloomy and frightful.
At the very front was a White Bone Hall, crafted from innumerable bones.
The wall of the great hall was embedded with countless skulls, their hollow eye sockets seeming to nurture flickering Ghost Fires.
Although the myriad bone arms didn’t move even slightly, those aware of the Ghost Controlling Sect’s details knew that if an outsider dared approach the hall, those arms would instantly turn animate, dragging the intruder into their grasp.
If one were dragged into the wall, then congratulations, even if one hadn’t achieved Immortal Dao, they would henceforth gain immortality.
For anyone pulled into the wall would, like those skulls, turn into white bone, their souls sealed within the bones, becoming one of the countless bones on the great hall’s walls.
When some of the cultivators watching the ceremony mentioned this fact, many faces among the crowd paled instantly.
If everyone hadn’t known that the Ghost Controlling Sect was one of the leading forces against the Netherworld during the Ancient Great Tribulation, they might even think this was a branch of the Demon Path.
Following that White Bone Hall, there were Tower Ships made of white bones or various other Flying Escape Treasures crafted out of unknown, pitch-black, odd materials.
A mass of Yin Qi surged around countless Magical Treasures, merging into a blanket that shrouded the ground below in darkness.
Within that Yin Qi, ghostly whispers intermittently transmitted, hidden within were numerous Ghost Items.
Sometimes they formed ghostly faces and sometimes they took on various shapes of Soul Bodies, emerging from the Yin Evil Qi to peek outside, chilling the hearts of countless onlookers with a clear demonstration of their existence.
Nevertheless, the disciples of the Ghost Controlling Sect standing atop those sinister Flying Escape Treasures were all clad in Daoist robes, either carrying Peach Wood Swords or holding horsetail whisks, their expressions solemn, seemingly no different from orthodox Taoists, except for the slightly chill True Yuan aura within them.
Behind these three Major Sects were numerous small and medium-sized Sects.
Each maneuvered their own large Flying Escape Treasures, carrying their Sect’s disciples as they followed in orderly arrays behind the three Major Sects.
While the Magical Treasures of these Sects varied, they didn’t appear disorderly in the least.
There were so many cultivators, and so many massive Flying Escape Treasures occupied a hundred-mile radius of the sky, that from below, it looked as if they were covering the sky, creating an awe-inspiring sight.
Despite the multitude of cultivators, there was scarcely any sound.
Even among the numerous Spiritual Beasts crowded together on the Beast Taming Sect’s side, not one let out a single noise.
Even if a Sharp-Horned Rock Sheep stood right in front of a Bengal Tiger or a small Jade Rabbit laid right before the mouth of a wolf over a zhang in length, there was no sound whatsoever.
Of course, it would have been even better if that damned Giant Wolf hadn’t let drool flow from its mouth, if the stench-ridden saliva hadn’t dripped onto the pure white, smooth fur of the Jade Rabbit.
Even with drool constantly dripping from its mouth, the black wolf didn’t dare to open its jaws, fearing that it would be unable to resist swallowing the plump rabbit before it, whose entire body exuded a faint fragrance.
It was clear that this Jade Rabbit was the pet Spiritual Beast of some female disciple, maintained with floral water baths to make its fur so fine and soft.
Once all the Sects were quietly arrayed in order, all the cultivators directed their attention towards the mountain gate of the Beast Taming Sect.
Moments later, under the watchful eyes of all the cultivators, a massive War Fortress slowly emerged from within the mountain gate of the Beast Taming Sect.
The fortress was tremendously large, so much so that ordinary cultivators couldn’t see its edges.
Only those cultivators with profound Dao Cultivation who activated their Spiritual Eyes could see that it spanned hundreds of miles.
Of course, everyone understood that it was merely the size the Beast Taming Sect chose to reveal, for inside it was even more expansive; after all, this was a complete Cave Heaven World.
Many had already learned that the Beast Taming Sect had acquired the Heavenly Pool Cave Heaven and had refined it into a War Fortress for campaigning in Otherworlds.
Initially, Taiyi Mountain had deliberately leaked this news to provoke discontent towards the Beast Taming Sect amongst the other Sects of the Southern Domain.
After all, this Cave Heaven was previously ownerless, and all the Sects within a hundred thousand li were allowed to send disciples to treasure hunt within it every sixty years.
Now that the Beast Taming Sect had obtained it, it easily aroused the dissatisfaction of other Sects.
Beast Taming Sect didn’t much care about the dissatisfaction, what could the displeasure amount to?
Surely the smaller sects wouldn’t dare to attack Beast Taming Sect.
Moreover, they immediately released specific information, spreading news that Taiyi Mountain’s plot to take over Heavenly Pool Cave Heaven had failed and was instead taken by Beast Taming Sect.
As a result, although there were still some small sects that harbored complaints, none continued to denounce Beast Taming Sect alongside Taiyi Mountain.
In their eyes, Taiyi Mountain wasn’t anything good either.
Had Beast Taming Sect not intervened and taken Heavenly Pool Cave Heaven, it would have been quite the joke the next time they prepared to open the Heavenly Pool Secret Realm.
Taiyi Mountain could’ve kept the information tightly sealed, and it may have taken those sects a millennium to figure out what had happened to Heavenly Pool Cave Heaven.
Thus, many small sects in the Southern Domain were also quite dissatisfied with Taiyi Mountain’s silent and sneaky scheming.
Now that Beast Taming Sect had openly admitted to intercepting and seizing Taiyi Mountain’s long-planned Heavenly Pool Cave Heaven, many were gloating in secret.
Taiyi Mountain had been plotting in the dark for hundreds of years, and just as they were about to succeed, Beast Taming Sect had snatched the fruits of their labor.
Surely that didn’t taste good.
The War Fortress slowly flew out of Beast Taming Sect’s mountain gate, its immense size forcing the many spectators nearby to retreat repeatedly until they were out of the fortress’s shadow, where they finally stopped.
Then, several figures flew out from the fortress.
The one in the lead was tall and thin, with a gaunt face and a gentle aura that was inscrutable.
This was the Gui Ling Ancestor of Beast Taming Sect.
Since the Gui Ling Ancestor spent years secluded in Ten Thousand Demons Cave Heaven without leaving, among the spectating cultivators, even though there were quite a few high-ranking members from other sects, there were very few who actually recognized this ancestor.
After all, they were not on the same level of existence and rarely had any interactions.
Only a few old timers who had cultivated for thousands of years had had the fortune to meet the Gui Ling Ancestor once in the past.
The Gui Ling Ancestor glanced at the countless cultivators in front and, without saying much, ascended an altar with a few people flanking him.
Afterward, he chanted prayers, pleading to the Heavenly Dao for a blessing on their expedition, hoping for a safe return.
Qin Feng was quite a distance away and, of course, could not hear the ancestor’s prayer.
But as the ancestor’s prayer progressed, the sky above changed, clouds swirled, and a colossal face seemed to look in their direction.
Then Qin Feng saw a pillar of light envelop the massive War Fortress in the sky.
A subtle vibration hummed, and something appeared to change inside the fortress.
Those outside had no idea what was happening, and even if they were allowed to witness it firsthand, they wouldn’t have known what was occurring.
Only the Supreme Elders of various sects knew that this was the Heavenly Dao acknowledging the Gui Ling Ancestor’s prayers, granting a portion of the Heavenly Dao Power to merge with the laws of Heavenly Pool Cave Heaven.
Thus, when the War Fortress entered the Otherworld, it wouldn’t be assimilated by the Otherworld’s laws of the Heavenly Dao.
Even within the Otherworld, the Cave Heaven Fortress would remain an independent entity.
This meant that if any cultivator from the sects had a breakthrough in cultivation, they could do so within the Cave Heaven without fear of interference or suppression by the Otherworld’s Heavenly Dao.
“An Otherworld Demon God covets our Biluo Great World, to enslave our Human Clan and have us worship him.
He is the public enemy of our clan and must not go unpunished.
Now I have received the mandate from the heavens, permitted by the Heavenly Dao, to go on an expedition to the Otherworld and slay the Demon God.
I hope for the brave disciples of all sects to slay the enemy and protect our Human Clan’s existence.”
The Gui Ling Ancestor’s voice spread across a thousand miles, making all beings within that radius hear him loud and clear.
“Should any sect’s disciples gain recognition from the Heavenly Dao through their merits, they will be bestowed with great Qi Fortune.
In the future, their path of cultivation will be much easier, and their chances of cultivating the Immortal Dao and achieving a carefree longevity will be a hundredfold greater than that of ordinary cultivators.”
After delivering a speech to buoy morale, seeing the high fighting spirit amongst the disciples of all sects, the Gui Ling Ancestor nodded with satisfaction, “Enter the fortress, march to the Otherworld, set out!”
As soon as the Gui Ling Ancestor’s words concluded, the cultivators from all sects sprang into action.
The first to move were the cultivators from Beast Taming Sect right in front.
Once the leading Tower Ship was dispatched, the rest followed suit; and behind them, numerous large and small Tower Ships and Flying Boats, carrying countless disciples and Spiritual Beasts, followed the fleet into the gaping maw of the War Fortress’s portal.