Chapter 121-130
Chapter 121: You Went In, What About Me? I Didn't Get On!
"Boss, that secret realm... it's unreachable now." Black Dragon whimpered, clearly intimidated.
Unreachable?
Lu Hange's eyes narrowed. Was this dragon lying to him?
Black Dragon immediately sensed the dangerous glint in Lu Hange's eyes, and a cold sweat broke out. Dragons were far more attuned to danger, and Black Dragon's instincts were blaring warnings. If he angered Lu Hange, the consequences would be dire.
In a flash, Black Dragon knelt on the ground, completely lacking any pride.
Logically, dragons were arrogant creatures. Such a display of weakness, kneeling before another, was utterly shameful to them. They'd rather die than do it. But the truth was, this Black Dragon had only been a mere flood dragon five years ago. He hadn't fully transformed from flood dragon to true dragon deep down.
Besides, this Black Dragon had only managed to become a dragon by some rare stroke of luck. So, he was exceptionally fond of his life.
In this world, be it humans, beasts, or demonic cultivators, there was a common rule: the higher their cultivation, the more they feared death and cherished their lives.
"Boss!"
"I really wasn't lying to you!"
"After I came out of the secret realm, I tried to go back in, hoping to find more treasures, but when I went, I realized the secret realm had vanished."
Black Dragon quickly explained. Anyway, it was just him and Lu Hange in the dragon's den. Being humiliated didn't matter. The news wouldn't get out. As long as Lu Hange didn't spread the word, he'd still be a proud dragon once they left, at most his prestige would take a small hit.
Lu Hange pondered for a moment. On second thought, this Black Dragon probably wouldn't dare to lie to him. However, just to be safe, Lu Hange decided to take extra precautions. "Stay still. I'm going to search your soul."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Black Dragon was dumbfounded. A soul search! That certainly wasn't good for the body!
Lu Hange placed his hand on Black Dragon's head. "I'll try to be as gentle as possible. If it hurts... just bear with it."
Black Dragon shivered all over. That sounded so familiar! It felt like something he used to say to those female flood dragons...
The next second, a sharp pain surged through him. The agony of a soul being torn apart was something most couldn't endure. Luckily, Lu Hange was only checking the memories within the soul, not pulling the soul out of the body entirely, otherwise the pain would have been several times worse.
In an instant, dragon scales appeared on Black Dragon's body, bristling outwards! To be honest, while demonic beasts focused more on body refinement, their souls weren't weak, especially noble and mystical dragon races. Once their bloodline started to regress to its ancient form, both their physical body and soul would rapidly strengthen, though the soul's enhancement wasn't as exaggerated as the body's.
A long while later, Lu Hange withdrew his hand. Black Dragon lay limp on the ground, his face utterly pale.
Black Dragon hadn't lied. He really had entered a secret realm.
And, in his memories, Lu Hange saw the entire secret realm. Two enormous dragon skeletons were tangled in a fierce battle, but upon closer inspection, the longer skeleton clearly held the upper hand, pinning the slightly shorter one beneath its foot. There was no distinction between day and night there, nor any boundary between heaven and earth.
Furthermore, Black Dragon's subsequent explanation was also accurate. He had indeed wanted to return to the secret realm, but when he went back to the same spot, he found that the secret realm had completely vanished.
Black Dragon hadn't lied, but Lu Hange couldn't bring himself to be happy. He had a strong premonition that the dragon bones left in the secret realm would be of great use to him.
However, Lu Hange wasn't willing to give up. Logically, he couldn't be so unlucky. With such concentrated luck on him, he should be incredibly fortunate.
"Get up."
"Let's go back there again."
Lu Hange's eyes flickered.
Hearing this, Black Dragon was helpless. He transformed into his true form, speaking in a rumbling voice. "That place is quite far from here. I'm pretty fast, so we'll get there in no time."
Lu Hange leaped onto the dragon's head. Black Dragon had intended for Lu Hange to stand on his back, but he hadn't expected Lu Hange to be so impolite and just jump right onto his head.
Seeing this, Black Dragon could only remain silent. He was the fish on the chopping block. Obeying would at least spare him a beating.
In a flash, space was torn open. The spatial turbulence stung Lu Hange's eyes, but it lasted only a short time. After just ten breaths, another spatial rift appeared before them, followed by a bright burst of light as sunlight once again shone down.
"We're here," Black Dragon rumbled.
Lu Hange looked around. It was a completely unfamiliar area. At least, none of the ancient texts of the Three Thousand Dao Sects had ever recorded a place like this.
"How far is this from the dragon's den?" Lu Hange asked.
Black Dragon thought for a moment. "Fifty million miles. This isn't even the demonic beast territory anymore. Look at the surroundings—there's no spiritual energy or demonic energy in the air, and not even a small animal within a ten thousand mile radius. It's a space completely separate from the human, demonic, and beast races." Black Dragon then transformed back into his human form.
Lu Hange released his divine sense and sensed the area. Indeed! There were no signs of life anywhere.
Lu Hange re-evaluated Black Dragon. He had already considered taking on a mount before, and now, after witnessing Black Dragon's speed, the idea of getting a mount grew even stronger. Fifty million miles in just ten breaths. Ten million miles in just two breaths. This meant that if Lu Hange had a Black Dragon mount earlier, returning to the One Sword Sect from the demonic beast territory would only take two breaths. Even traversing the entire world wouldn't take long.
Of course, it certainly couldn't compare to the Heavenly Dao's spatial teleportation. But Lu Hange was already very satisfied with Black Dragon's speed. Besides, Black Dragon was only at the peak of the Mahayana stage. If his bloodline were to regress to the Half-Immortal realm, his speed would undoubtedly take another huge leap. At that point, Black Dragon's speed wouldn't be much different from the Heavenly Dao's teleportation.
As Lu Hange was still thinking about getting a mount, Black Dragon's eyes suddenly widened, like two bulging lanterns, staring intently at a certain spot. "The secret realm entrance has reappeared!"
Hearing this, Lu Hange turned to look.
In the distance, a stone monument several meters tall stood. The base of the monument was formed by dragon claws, their ferocious grip dug firmly into the ground. The monument itself seemed rather plain; it had no carved words or intricate, beautiful patterns, only a medium-sized groove. The top of the monument was a dragon head, looking up and roaring.
In an instant, Lu Hange stood before the monument.
"This is the secret realm entrance?" Lu Hange gently touched the monument. It was cool to the touch, seemingly nothing special; any ancient piece of cold jade would feel similar.
Black Dragon nodded. "As long as dragon blood is dripped into the groove, the monument will sense it, and the door to the secret realm will automatically open."
Then, Black Dragon dripped his blood into the groove. Lu Hange's eyes burned with anticipation. Black Dragon was equally excited. This second visit might allow him to snag a lot of good things again.
After a long time, the monument remained still. Lu Hange looked at Black Dragon. "Are you sure your method is correct?"
Black Dragon scratched his head, looking surprised. "It shouldn't be like this. That's how I got in last time."
Lu Hange's eyes flickered.
Rip!
The Desolate Ancient Sword appeared, cutting Lu Hange's wrist. Blood welled up and dripped into the groove. He had absorbed the precious dragon bones. In a sense, Lu Hange's blood also contained dragon bloodline.
Boom!
A loud bang! Immediately after, the dragon head on the monument actually moved. The dragon head slowly lowered from its roaring state, looking at Lu Hange. In an instant, Lu Hange felt his blood boiling.
Lu Hange's vision blurred, and he vanished from the spot.
Black Dragon stood there, utterly bewildered.
"Wait!"
"What about me?"
"I didn't get on the ride yet!"
Chapter 122: Golden Dragon Bones! Ascension Might Not Be a Blessing, But a Calamity
Tens of millions of miles away.
At the One Sword Sect, a dishevelled figure furiously vented his frustration.
"Damn it!"
"Damn it!!!"
"I, Chu Ge, the esteemed second young master of the Chu family, was actually thwarted in a weak, lower realm!"
"What was that kid's name? Lu Hange, right? I'll remember him!!" Chu Ge roared.
If it weren't for the Heavenly Dao's intervention, he would be a corpse right now. That last sword move from Lu Hange, seemingly plain, concealed endless killing intent. Chu Ge had only felt this kind of suffocating pressure from someone his age when facing his own elder brother.
After his outburst, Chu Ge finally felt a little better.
"What do I do now?" Chu Ge pondered.
Leave this world? Not really an option. From the moment he willingly became the World's Chosen One, it became difficult to leave, and the Heavenly Dao's task for him wasn't complete, so it wouldn't let him go.
But if he didn't leave, Chu Ge worried about encountering Lu Hange again. Next time... he would truly die. After all, Lu Hange had learned his lesson once, and wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Even with the Heavenly Dao's help, Chu Ge felt no real confidence. Plus, he was currently injured.
"First, I'll find a place to recover, then I'll have the family send more people over. Coming alone was too risky. Big Brother was right; I shouldn't underestimate any cultivators from small worlds. I was too careless." Chu Ge decided after some thought. If he couldn't leave this world, he'd have his family come to him.
Thinking of this, Chu Ge sighed. "If only Big Brother could come personally..."
However, that was unlikely. When Chu Ge left the family, his elder brother was in seclusion, trying to break through to the Immortal Realm. If he succeeded, he could ascend to the Immortal World, which was a matter of utmost importance for the entire family. He wouldn't come here just to help Chu Ge regain face.
Guided by the Heavenly Dao, Chu Ge quickly found a satisfactory cave dwelling and began to calmly recuperate his injuries. He also had the Heavenly Dao send a request for reinforcements back to the Chu family.
Meanwhile, Black Dragon was utterly bewildered. Lu Hange had vanished, and he was still stuck in the same spot...
Soon, Black Dragon's eyes lit up with wild joy.
"That plague has finally left!"
"I'm free!!"
Thinking of this, Black Dragon burst into joyous laughter, his mirth echoing through the heavens and earth, unable to suppress his excitement.
"This old master isn't serving anymore." With that, Black Dragon instantly disappeared. Anyway, he was a lone dragon and could live comfortably anywhere. Besides, this world was vast; he didn't believe Lu Hange would be able to find him once he emerged.
Black Dragon left decisively. Although he hadn't re-entered the secret realm to search for treasures, he preferred freedom over riches. Spending even a second more with Lu Hange made Black Dragon uncomfortable.
One could only say that Black Dragon would regret this decision later.
On the other side, Lu Hange arrived in a small, isolated space. Heaven and earth were undivided, and chaos was unclear.
"The aura of chaos," Lu Hange murmured, raising his arm. The chaotic currents were visible to the naked eye, astonishingly dense.
Suddenly, the Desolate Ancient Sword flew out on its own. The Desolate Ancient Sword had existed for a very long time, so this ancient environment was very comfortable for it.
Not far away, a colossal dragon skeleton lay on the ground, a full ten thousand meters long! Lu Hange couldn't see the tail of the giant dragon at first glance. Only by activating his Eye of Insight could he see the entire skeleton.
Inside him, the Dragon Bone Blood was restless. This dragon skeleton gave Lu Hange a strange sense of familiarity.
"This dragon skeleton and the Dragon Bone Blood in my body are from the same type of dragon," Lu Hange thought, walking towards the skeleton while remaining wary of his surroundings.
Soon after, Lu Hange arrived before the dragon skeleton. A dragon's roar resonated. Lu Hange tilted his head slightly. A phantom image of a divine dragon emerged from the colossal skeleton. "I didn't expect that after so many years, the one entering the Dragon's Tomb would be a human, not a dragon."
The next second, a golden dragon head appeared behind Lu Hange. The Dragon Bone Blood automatically activated.
Seeing this, the phantom dragon's eyes showed surprise. "Your physical body has a very high compatibility with my dragon blood."
Upon hearing this, Lu Hange's heart stirred. The Dragon Bone Blood he had consumed was actually this dragon's blood.
The phantom dragon saw the cheerfully flying Desolate Ancient Sword, and its dragon eyes flickered with an indescribable depth of meaning. When it looked at Lu Hange again, a hint of solemnity was added. "The current sword master of the Desolate Ancient Sword."
Interesting! This human cultivator before him was the current sword master of the Desolate Ancient Sword, and also had a very high compatibility with his dragon blood.
"May this old one ask a favor of you?" The phantom dragon's tone held a touch of reverence, not belittling Lu Hange despite his lower cultivation.
Seeing this, Lu Hange bowed slightly. "Senior, please speak."
The phantom dragon raised a hand, and the ten-thousand-meter-long dragon skeleton burst forth with brilliant golden light. Then, two golden dragon bones flew before Lu Hange.
"These two are Golden Dragon Bones."
"They are the legacy dragon bones of my Golden Saint Dragon clan."
"This old one wishes to ask, young friend, if you should one day ascend to the Immortal World, please find my Golden Saint Dragon clan and return one of these Golden Dragon Bones to them."
Lu Hange raised an eyebrow. "And the other one?"
"The other one is your reward for helping this old one with this request," the divine dragon replied.
Lu Hange reached out and grasped the two golden bones. "Senior, are you not worried I'll take both golden bones and run off?"
"I trust the Desolate Ancient Sword," the divine dragon said, looking at the sword.
Lu Hange rubbed his nose. His own character was apparently not as trustworthy as a sword...
"I accept."
"Should I ascend to the Immortal World one day, I will certainly seek out the Golden Saint Dragon clan."
However, Lu Hange licked his lips and asked, "Senior, besides the bones, are there any other things? Like dragon arts or something?"
The divine dragon chuckled softly. "My dragon clan's divine arts are all within the golden bones. If you merge with the golden bones and can learn the divine arts, that is your fortune. If you cannot, it cannot be forced."
Upon hearing this, Lu Hange nodded helplessly.
The divine dragon's eyes grew nostalgic. "Is that fellow Jiang Wuxu dead?"
Lu Hange was silent for a few seconds. "Like you, senior, Senior Jiang also perished in this world."
"Indeed."
"That fellow came here too," the divine dragon lamented.
Lu Hange was puzzled. Why would important figures like Jiang Wuxu and the divine dragon, who were renowned in the Immortal World, come to this small world? And both had perished here.
The divine dragon sensed Lu Hange's confusion. "These things are still too distant for you. If you have the chance to ascend to the Immortal World in the future, you must be extremely cautious."
Ascension was sometimes not a blessing. Instead, it was a great calamity.
Chapter 123: Refining the Golden Saint Bones! Shedding Mortality for Immortality, Achieving the Immortal Body!
"Senior Jiang also said something similar."
"Why must one be extremely cautious when ascending?" Lu Hange frowned slightly.
Ascension! For every cultivator, it should be a momentous occasion. It meant that thousands or even tens of thousands of years of arduous cultivation had finally come to fruition, and one had transformed from a cultivator into a true immortal.
The only danger Lu Hange could think of concerning ascension was the so-called Immortal Tribulation. Of course, in Lu Hange's world, no one had ascended in a very long time. So the few ancient texts that mentioned it only briefly touched upon the term "Immortal Tribulation," without clarifying what it actually was.
The Immortal Tribulation was the final step to becoming an immortal. If one could overcome it, they would shed their mortal coil and achieve immortality! If not, they would naturally perish.
The divine dragon sighed. "Do you think Jiang Wuxu was formidable?"
"Formidable," Lu Hange replied.
Immediately after, the divine dragon spoke a sentence that greatly impacted Lu Hange's mind. "What if I told you he was chased all the way from the Immortal World to this place, and finally, out of desperation, had no choice but to self-dissolve and perish? Would you believe it?"
Lu Hange's pupils constricted. That couldn't be true... According to the Desolate Ancient Sword's spirit, Jiang Wuxu was already one of the renowned titans in the Immortal World; almost no one was his match.
Seeing this, the divine dragon knew this revelation was too shocking for Lu Hange.
"It wasn't just him."
"It was the same for me."
Dragons were arrogant. They never admitted defeat. But when discussing this matter, the divine dragon's tone held an undisguised sense of defeat.
"I've forgotten how long I've been dead in this world, but my memories from before my death are still perfectly intact. My Golden Saint Dragon clan is a top-tier race even in the Immortal World, and as the patriarch of the Golden Saint Dragon clan, my cultivation goes without saying. Even so, I was still chased into such a sorry state."
"There were originally two dragon skeletons here."
"One was mine, and the other belonged to the pet of the one who hunted me down."
"Just a pet, yet it was able to perish with me, and even lock my soul, preventing me from leaving this place."
The divine dragon's pride had been shattered. When the truly cruel truth broke a dragon's arrogance, the impact on their Dao Heart was extremely severe.
At this moment, the divine dragon appeared utterly ancient. A divine dragon that should have been radiant and world-shaking with its draconic might no longer yearned to return to the Immortal World, nor even to reshape its physical body, because the Immortal World had left an indelible shadow in its heart.
"Senior Jiang... was it also like this?" Lu Hange took a deep breath.
The divine dragon shook its head. "He was more miserable than me."
Upon hearing this, Lu Hange's mouth twitched.
The divine dragon's tone grew much calmer. "Jiang Wuxu was the only reclusive titan in the Immortal World with no sect, no clan, and no faction. He was also the first sword master of the Desolate Ancient Sword. Since you are also a sword cultivator, you should know the temperament of sword cultivators—people like swords, sharp and unyielding, unwilling to compromise their thoughts. He was far more hated than I was."
Lu Hange: ...
These words also applied to Lu Hange. Of course, Lu Hange's unwillingness to compromise was largely due to his experiences in his previous life. He'd rather make others uncomfortable than feel even a hint of discomfort himself—that was Lu Hange's summary of his past life.
The divine dragon's phantom image began to blur. Jiang Wuxu's obsession was to return to his homeland. And the divine dragon's obsession was to return the golden bones to its clan.
Now, with his wish fulfilled, the divine dragon no longer held any attachment to the mortal world.
"This old one is Bei Cangwu."
"The patriarch of the Golden Saint Dragon clan."
"Thank you, young friend, for accepting my request!"
The divine dragon bowed its head, showing respect to Lu Hange. Lu Hange was silent for a moment. "With your senior's strength, even if only a wisp of your soul remains, you should still be able to reincarnate."
The divine dragon smiled faintly. "If I were to leave here and reincarnate, the one who hunted me would sense it. In that case, it would implicate your world. This old one has always acted honorably and disdains such methods. Besides, death, for this old one, is the most perfect ending."
After a long while, Lu Hange clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
Seeing this, the divine dragon laughed heartily. "Young friend, do you know the name of your world?"
Lu Hange shook his head. He truly didn't know. The ancient texts didn't record it.
The divine dragon gazed up at the heavens, seemingly meeting the gaze of the Heavenly Dao itself. "This world is called Western Extremity Realm. The sages said: 'Left Misty Mountain, right Western Extremity.' This old one was born in Misty Mountain, so I took Misty Mountain as my name; I died in Western Extremity, so Western Extremity shall be my tomb. So it is."
Western Extremity Realm... Lu Hange committed these three words to memory.
Subsequently, the divine dragon's phantom became increasingly transparent. Lu Hange knew that this former titan, who had once resounded throughout the Immortal World, was truly about to perish. In truth, he could have lived, but he had given up the chance to reincarnate.
"Young friend."
"Be extremely careful!"
"The Immortal World is not as beautiful as you imagine; it is far more brutal."
"Also, when you ascend to the Immortal World, if you encounter anyone from the Void Dojo, run immediately."
Lu Hange was startled. Void Dojo? A familiar name.
Before he could ask, the divine dragon's phantom reached its limit and directly shattered. Countless golden fragments rained down from the sky, transforming into golden rain. At the same time, the ten-thousand-meter-long dragon skeleton developed countless tiny cracks. The next second, the skeleton collapsed, turning into a pile of bone dust.
Lu Hange stared blankly at the sky. No! Why did you have to die so quickly! What was the Void Dojo, you should have explained it clearly...
Lu Hange felt like he had heard that name somewhere before, but he couldn't recall it at the moment. Wait! A flash of insight struck Lu Hange. Suddenly, he remembered something.
"Void Dojo Admission Ticket."
"That's right, I got a Void Dojo admission ticket from the system."
Lu Hange rummaged through his storage ring for a moment and finally found the admission ticket. This ticket cost a staggering 100 million points to redeem, and it was the Desolate Ancient Sword that had urged Lu Hange to exchange for it.
Lu Hange stared at the admission ticket, slightly bewildered. It seemed this Void Dojo was an extraordinary place, even the divine dragon showed obvious fear towards it. It was even possible that the people who had hunted the divine dragon were from the Void Dojo.
"Ugh."
"I hate it when people only tell half the story." Lu Hange shook his head.
Then, Lu Hange put the admission ticket away and re-examined the Golden Saint Bones in his hand. The Dragon Bone Blood alone had already evolved Lu Hange's physical body to just below the Immortal Body stage. If he completely absorbed and refined the Golden Saint Bones, he might directly break through to the Immortal Body, achieving physical immortality. At that point, the weapons and cultivation techniques of this world would no longer be able to harm him.
However, refining the Saint Bones would likely take a considerable amount of time. And since he was human, wanting to refine dragon Saint Bones for his own use might be unimaginably difficult and painful.
"I'll risk it!"
"This small risk is completely worth it!"
This secret realm was the best place for refinement. There was no need to worry about outside interference, and even if some strange phenomenon occurred, it wouldn't attract external attention.
Chapter 124: Emergence! The Immortal Body is Formed!! The World Has Changed
Five years passed. The outside world had changed dramatically. If Lu Hange had emerged and taken a look around, he would have noticed that the human territories used to be several times larger than the combined territories of the demonic and beast races. Now, the demonic race had replaced humans as the most numerous and powerful race in this world.
The beast race's territory hadn't changed much, but many prodigies had emerged among them. The birth of Black Dragon was just the beginning. Within five years, the beast race saw the emergence of various divine beasts such as the Great Roc, the Giant Kun, the Auspicious Crane, the Qilin Son, and the Three-legged Golden Crow.
Additionally, the Immortal-Demon War had ended. Originally, the demonic race had planned to take the opportunity to wipe out all humans. But humans, after all, were favored by heaven. Just as they were about to be massacred, a person named Chu Ge appeared, accompanied by a group of terrifyingly strong cultivators. They forcefully halted the demonic race's offensive, even injuring the Demon Emperor and the Demon Princess, whose wounds remained unhealed to this day.
Helpless, the demonic race had to abandon their goal of annihilating humanity. Chu Ge also didn't pursue the demonic race relentlessly. Instead, he began to build large-scale private academies in human territories, encouraging all human mortals and cultivators to study the writings of the sages. He also erected statues of himself throughout human lands, receiving their worship.
For a time, the number of scholars surged. Whether in the secular dynasties or the surviving human immortal sects, the literary arts flourished. As the literary arts thrived, martial arts gradually declined.
The surviving human cultivators realized that their old techniques couldn't contend with the demonic race. Coupled with witnessing Chu Ge's magnificent feat of repelling the demonic race with his sagely words, all cultivators began to prioritize the literary path, eager to forge a new path of cultivation by reading sagely texts, speaking sagely words, and cultivating Grand Righteous Qi.
And this was exactly what Chu Ge wanted to see.
Within human territory, which now spanned only about ten million miles, a tenfold reduction compared to its former size. Previously, there were thousands of human immortal sects, but now, only a few dozen remained. The once prosperous human race had fallen into decline.
At this moment, within a palace, Chu Ge sat on the main seat, feeling the continuous growth of Grand Righteous Qi within him, a sense of satisfaction swelling in his heart. He was very pleased with his current life. Lu Hange had disappeared. Humanity had become his livestock farm. The only slight regret was the continued lack of any trace of the Immortal Cauldron. He had searched almost every conceivable location but found no sign of it.
"Just a little more Grand Righteous Qi, and I'll be able to inscribe sagely texts and attempt to break through to immortality." Chu Ge's eyes flickered. The Chu family's method of ascension was different from most cultivators. Ever since the Chu family's ancestor successfully ascended as a contemporary sage hundreds of millions of years ago, subsequent Chu family members only cultivated the literary path and trained Grand Righteous Qi.
Just then, a figure appeared behind Chu Ge.
"Second Master."
"The Grand Righteous Qi can't increase anymore," the person respectfully stated. Looking closely, this person was a Half-Immortal stage cultivator, dressed in a grand scholar's robe, with a very obvious scholarly aura.
Chu Ge frowned slightly. There were too few humans. The remaining human population's ability to provide him with Grand Righteous Qi had reached a bottleneck; it couldn't increase further. If humanity hadn't been massacred by the demonic race, and their territory was still as vast and their population as enormous as before, then laying out the literary path in this world and specializing in Grand Righteous Qi would have offered a real hope of achieving immortality.
But in the Immortal-Demon War, too many humans had died. With the drastic reduction in population, it had evolved into the current awkward situation. Chu Ge wanted to make the demonic and beast races cultivate Grand Righteous Qi too, but the problem was that they couldn't even read. They were a bunch of illiterates, useless except for speaking a bit of human language.
"Tell the humans to have more children!"
"Reward mortals with silver and gold for having more children; reward cultivators with heavenly treasures and cultivation techniques for having more children." Chu Ge was quite agitated. Just a little more! He could attempt to break through.
Upon hearing this, the great scholar behind him sighed. "Mortals need ten months of pregnancy to give birth, and the children born need to reach the age of seven or eight before they can enter private academies to study. Cultivators' pregnancies are even longer; it's common for a pregnancy to last several years. It's unrealistic to try to increase Grand Righteous Qi this way in the short term."
The Immortal-Demon War had only ended five years ago. In five years, even if humans gave birth to a litter of twelve every time, it would be impossible to replenish the population.
Chu Ge's expression was grim. Could it be... he had to teach the illiterate demonic and beast races how to read?
After much thought, none of the methods seemed effective. Helpless, Chu Ge could only change the subject. "Where's my elder brother?"
The great scholar respectfully replied, "Young master is already in the final stages of his breakthrough. He'll be emerging from seclusion soon. If all goes well, our Chu family will have another Confucian Immortal."
For a moment, Chu Ge's heart was filled with envy. Confucian Immortal. What an enticing title. If he could also become a Confucian Immortal, then the Chu family would have two immortals. But unfortunately! He was always just a little short.
"I understand."
"You go back and think of other solutions." Chu Ge waved his hand.
Seeing this, the great scholar's figure slowly disappeared.
Chu Ge walked out of the palace. In the open space outside, a humanoid statue several hundred meters tall held a scroll in one hand and a writing brush in the other, as if it were about to write a magnificent article across the heavens and earth. The statue's facial features were identical to Chu Ge's. One had to admit, Chu Ge was quite narcissistic.
Similar statues were found throughout human territory. Almost every few dozen miles, there was an identical statue, though their sizes varied, some only a few meters tall, others dozens of meters.
In an instant, the Grand Dao resonated with Buddhist chants. A sage spoke. Resounding scriptures echoed through the world. Chu Ge, who was originally somewhat lazy and restless, transformed into an incredibly refined and polite figure under the blessing of Grand Righteous Qi, as if he were a reincarnated sage.
"No."
"Still a little short." Chu Ge's eyes flickered.
No matter what path one cultivated, one ultimately needed to pass through the Immortal Tribulation to truly become an immortal. And the Grand Righteous Qi in Chu Ge's body wasn't even enough to trigger the Immortal Tribulation, let alone overcome it. His cultivation was infinitely close to the peak of the Half-Immortal stage, but he was just that tiny bit short—seemingly within reach, but actually like a chasm.
The current Chu Ge was far stronger than he was five years ago. The increase in his strength had greatly diminished his fear of Lu Hange. He even thought about encountering Lu Hange again and fiercely trampling him underfoot to vent his frustration.
However, five years had passed, and there was no news of Lu Hange. He was probably dead somewhere...
In a distant land, a stone monument with a dragon head at its top and dragon claws as its base trembled slightly. Then, a strange vortex appeared on the monument's surface, radiating golden light.
A figure stepped out from within. Dressed in black robes. With white hair.
"Finally out."
"The Immortal Body is complete."
Chapter 125: Help Me Pass a Message, Just Say I've Returned from the Secret Realm
An Immortal Body, where a single drop of blood can regenerate, and a piece of flesh can reshape. The physical body is immortal! The immortal physique indestructible!
Of course, this didn't include the soul. Achieving physical immortality only pertained to the physical body. As for Lu Hange's soul, it remained at the Half-Immortal stage. What was even more interesting was that Lu Hange's cultivation aura had only progressed from the early Mahayana stage to the late Mahayana stage. Not even at its peak...
Thus, Lu Hange's state was quite peculiar. His cultivation aura was at the late Mahayana stage, his soul strength was at the Half-Immortal stage, but his physical body had already become immortal.
Lu Hange looked down at his body. Beneath his fair, jade-like skin, a faint golden glow shimmered. Golden dragon scales rippled across his entire body with the flow of his blood, but they quickly vanished. The surrounding space couldn't withstand the pressure of his immortal body, crumbling inch by inch before quickly restoring itself.
Immediately, Lu Hange pulled out the Desolate Ancient Sword and cut an opening on his arm. Although he had achieved the Immortal Body, in front of the Desolate Ancient Sword, the Immortal Body was still somewhat insufficient. A bloodstain appeared, and drops of fresh blood seeped out, dripping onto the ground.
Lu Hange's blood was pale gold. In fact, Lu Hange's blood had gone through three colors. From the initial common bright red, it turned black due to demonic energy, and now it had become pale gold, a single drop capable of crushing mountains and rivers.
The pale golden blood permeated the ground. In an instant, with the droplet of blood as the center, countless green plants began to grow wildly. In just a few breaths, towering trees shot up from the ground, transforming the barren land where Lu Hange stood into a vibrant primeval forest.
"Immortal blood."
"A single drop is the most exquisite heavenly treasure and elixir, capable of bringing the dead back to life." Lu Hange's expression was calm.
In the Immortal World, having an Immortal Body was nothing unusual. But in various small worlds, immortals were the most unattainable beings, and every part of an immortal's body was eagerly sought after by cultivators of the lower realms. Blood was a life-and-death elixir. Bones were material for immortal artifacts. As long as it wasn't a weapon of the Desolate Ancient Sword's caliber striking Lu Hange's body, it couldn't even break through his physical defense.
"That dragon ran off." Lu Hange looked around. He didn't find Black Dragon's trace. It made sense! If he entered the secret realm alone, the Black Dragon left outside would definitely run, and after five years, that Black Dragon was probably long gone.
Lu Hange didn't pay it much mind. It was just a recently transformed dragon. If he had it, it would make travelling easier. If not, it was just a bit of a shame.
"Time to go out and see."
Five years. He imagined the outside world must have changed greatly again. The last time he had only been in seclusion for a year, and when he came out, the world was already vastly different. Now, after five years, the outside world might have already exceeded Lu Hange's imagination.
However, these five years had been fruitful. Lu Hange looked at the Desolate Ancient Sword, which now had a dragon-shaped pattern on its hilt. Lu Hange had absorbed the Dragon Bone Blood and merged with the Golden Saint Dragon's bones, so he naturally couldn't absorb the true dragon blood from the black long spear anymore. So, he had fed all the true dragon blood to the Desolate Ancient Sword. However, the Desolate Ancient Sword didn't change much after absorbing the true dragon blood, only gaining an additional pattern.
Besides that, Lu Hange had also refined all the vital blood of the great demons he had collected earlier into pills and swallowed them all. The success of his Immortal Body had these pills to thank.
Of course! What surprised Lu Hange the most was the dragon clan's divine art. He was lucky. After merging the Golden Dragon Bones into his body, he obtained a divine art from the dragon bones' legacy. This divine art was the greatest gain besides the Immortal Body, but it was quite difficult to cultivate, and Lu Hange had not yet even begun to master it.
Lu Hange slowly floated into the air. Then, his divine sense spread out. Although Lu Hange's soul was only at the Half-Immortal stage, it was no problem to cover a million-mile radius.
"Demonic energy and beast energy." Lu Hange looked in a certain direction. He took a step! His figure instantly vanished! There was no surge of power, nor any ripples in space. Lu Hange was purely using his physical body to travel, stepping into the void and emerging from it, each step covering a million miles.
"Didn't find it?" A demonic cultivator asked.
Upon hearing this, the others shook their heads. Among these people were not only demonic cultivators but also many demonic beasts. The leading demonic cultivator sighed, gazing into the distant direction. "If neither the demonic race nor the beast race has it, then it can only be in the human territories."
"But I heard that people on the human side are also looking for the Immortal Cauldron, and they haven't found any trace either," a proud beast clan member said. The fact that he mentioned the Immortal Cauldron showed that it was no longer a secret.
"Could it be that the Immortal Cauldron isn't a physical object, but a general term?" The demonic cultivator scratched his head. Such mental exertion was too much for the demonic and beast races.
The others remained silent. After a moment, the leading demonic cultivator spoke, "Since we can't find it, let's each go back and report. Remember to avoid the human territories, otherwise, if you encounter any danger, you won't be able to return."
Everyone nodded. Just then, a figure quietly appeared.
Seeing this, everyone was immediately startled.
"Who's there!"
"You're courting death!"
"How dare you eavesdrop on our conversation!"
Weapons shimmering with cold light were pointed at Lu Hange. Lu Hange ignored them and spoke softly, "Take me to Zhu Zhu." From the conversation of these demonic cultivators and demonic beasts, Lu Hange realized something quite surprising: humans still existed, and the demonic race hadn't completely massacred them, even showing a degree of fear.
Zhu Zhu? The demonic cultivators were stunned. Who was Zhu Zhu? As ordinary demonic cultivators, they weren't qualified to know the Demon Princess's true name.
Lu Hange suddenly understood. "Take me to your Demon Princess."
Upon hearing this, the numerous demonic cultivators immediately became extremely wary.
"You, a mere brat, dare to demand to see the Princess! Wait till I apprehend you..." A demonic cultivator spoke savagely, raising his weapon. The next second, the demonic cultivator's body disintegrated inch by inch, turning into dust and dissipating into the heavens and earth. Lu Hange, for their sake of being fellow demonic cultivators, gave him a painless death.
Then, Lu Hange looked at the next demonic cultivator. "Take me to the Princess."
"I'll lead the way!"
"I'll lead the way!!" The demonic cultivators quickly agreed.
Lu Hange seemed to remember something and turned to the demonic beasts. "When you return to the beast race, if you know Black Dragon's whereabouts, give him a message. Just tell him I'll come find him for a chat when I have time."
The demonic beasts trembled with fear. Demonic beasts were more sensitive to danger. The moment Lu Hange appeared, their bloodlines wildly shuddered, urging them to flee for their lives.
"Senior, may we know your name?"
"It would make it easier to pass the message." The demonic beasts' attitudes were exceptionally respectful.
Lu Hange smiled. "Just tell him I've returned from the secret realm. You don't need to say anything else."
Chapter 126: I've Found You, This Time I Won't Let You Escape!
The demonic territory was tens of times vaster than before. The demonic royal palace had also relocated from its original spot to the former site of the Three Thousand Dao Sects.
The familiar Transmission Town. The familiar Three Thousand Dao Sects.
However, this place had been renamed. Now, it was called the Demon Domain.
"The old place remains, but the old friends are gone." Lu Hange stood with his hands behind his back, memories flashing through his mind. Then, Lu Hange pulled out a necklace made of human heads from his storage ring. Lin Xing, Qiu Liu, Lu Sheng, Mu Nanyan, Ye Feng, the Old Sect Master... their heads were all among them.
His old acquaintances were still here. No regrets then. Lu Hange's mind was clear and unburdened, feeling as if the barriers to his cultivation breakthrough had vanished.
Seeing this, the leading demonic cultivator swallowed. Demonic cultivators were usually brutal, but they never had a penchant for collecting human heads as necklaces. Lu Hange's necklace was quite a shock.
Soon after, Lu Hange arrived at a grand hall.
"Please wait, senior."
"The Princess is still recovering from her injuries, so this lowly one must go inform her." The demonic cultivator's voice trembled. He was afraid that if Lu Hange was displeased, he would simply kill him.
Lu Hange was slightly surprised. "She's injured? Who injured her?"
The demonic cultivator didn't detect any displeasure in Lu Hange's tone and felt a little relieved. "It was a powerful human, a great expert. During the Immortal-Demon War five years ago, a strong human suddenly appeared and injured both the Princess and the Emperor."
Lu Hange's eyes flickered. Oh. Right. He remembered now. Chu Ge. He'd almost forgotten about that person.
"Zhu Zhu, I'm here." Lu Hange blurted out. His voice was soft, but it echoed through every corner of the hall.
The next second, a terrifying aura awakened from deep underground. The demonic cultivator immediately prostrated himself, not daring to look up. The Princess had awakened. For five years, the Princess had been recuperating and hadn't emerged. Unexpectedly, a single sentence from Lu Hange had caused her to voluntarily awaken from her recovery.
A fragrant breeze swept past. A graceful figure flickered into view, alluring and captivating, though her face was excessively pale, giving her a fragile appearance. "Five years with no news of you, I thought you had ascended."
Zhu Zhu smiled, her injuries seemingly having improved quite a bit.
Lu Hange smiled back, "What if I died?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhu rolled her eyes. "With your strength, I don't believe anyone could kill you."
The kneeling demonic cultivator wisely retreated. From Lu Hange and Zhu Zhu's conversation, it was clear that Lu Hange was not an enemy, but rather a friend.
"Where have you been these past five years?" Zhu Zhu waved a hand. A jade table, stone stools, and fine wine all appeared. Zhu Zhu personally poured Lu Hange a glass of wine.
Lu Hange didn't refuse, sitting down and taking a sip. "Your injuries, were they from Chu Ge?"
Zhu Zhu's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. "You know this Chu Ge?"
"We had a fight." Lu Hange nodded. "But unfortunately, I didn't kill him then. The Heavenly Dao saved his life." Lu Hange didn't describe the process, but Zhu Zhu knew it must have been extremely dangerous. After all, she had personally experienced the power of Chu Ge's sagely words.
"I'll find an opportunity to kill him," Lu Hange said.
Zhu Zhu smiled and asked, "For me?"
Lu Hange chuckled softly. "If you think so, then so be it."
Killing Chu Ge was inevitable. He carried immense luck. And only Chu Ge knew the whereabouts of the Heavenly Dao.
Zhu Zhu didn't dwell on it. What she thought it was, it was. Cultivators were idealistic; they followed their hearts as they saw fit.
Lu Hange paused, then continued, "Have you still not found the Immortal Cauldron?"
Zhu Zhu shook her head. Now, all cultivators were searching for the Immortal Cauldron. Such a widespread search, yet still no news of it.
"This item is hard to find."
"But one person knows its whereabouts." Lu Hange's eyes deepened in thought. In this world, only one person was most likely to know the Immortal Cauldron's whereabouts, and that was the Heavenly Dao.
Lu Hange looked at Zhu Zhu. "Rest assured and heal your injuries. I will go search for the Immortal Cauldron's whereabouts and notify you when I find it."
Zhu Zhu obediently hummed in acknowledgment. In front of Lu Hange, she always shed her royal authority, behaving more like a sweet younger sister.
The two chatted. Zhu Zhu recounted all the changes of the past five years. Indeed! The changes were vast! Under Chu Ge's leadership, humanity's literary path flourished, seemingly entering an era where everyone cultivated Grand Righteous Qi.
Zhu Zhu was very wary of Chu Ge, her words filled with lingering fear. This power, Grand Righteous Qi, was an anomaly never before seen in this world, making Zhu Zhu feel particularly troublesome when facing its attacks.
After their chat, Lu Hange prepared to leave.
"Where are you going?" Zhu Zhu asked.
Lu Hange put down his wine cup. "To kill someone." Lu Hange really wanted to see how much that pathetic, dog-like Chu Ge, who needed the Heavenly Dao's rescue, had grown in five years.
"Go and return quickly." Zhu Zhu smiled.
Lu Hange pulled out a few heavenly treasures from his storage ring. "These herbs were cultivated with demonic energy. Find someone who can refine them into pills, or you can eat them directly. They'll be good for your injuries."
Zhu Zhu's beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons, her cheeks flushed with a hint of shy redness, her heart filled with joy. "You're so good to me? How should I repay you?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Hange simply ignored her.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhu pouted slightly and quietly huffed.
After leaving the palace, Lu Hange also went to the Sword Prison. However, the Sword Prison had also changed. All sword intent and sword qi had vanished, and the massive sword tomb deep within the Sword Prison was completely sealed, even the Desolate Ancient Sword couldn't enter.
"Let's go to the human territory first." Lu Hange didn't hesitate.
Following Zhu Zhu's guidance, Lu Hange quickly found the human territory. It was only ten million miles across, looking quite desolate compared to before. Furthermore, only a few dozen immortal sects remained within human lands. The once prosperous human race had fallen into such decline.
In an instant, Lu Hange sensed Chu Ge's aura. The place with the densest Grand Righteous Qi was where Chu Ge was located.
"I've found you." Lu Hange's lips curled into a cold smile.
This time! I won't let you escape again!
Chu Ge felt an inexplicable unease, a premonition that something bad was about to happen. Ever since he started cultivating Grand Righteous Qi, he had always trusted his intuition, rarely experiencing errors.
"Old Bai!"
"Old Bai!!" Chu Ge shouted.
In an instant, a great scholar appeared before him. "Second Master, what's wrong?"
Chu Ge frowned tightly, pacing nervously. "I have a very bad feeling. I vaguely sense something big is about to happen. Go investigate."
The great scholar also grew tense. Those who cultivated Grand Righteous Qi had an innate foresight for danger, and the denser their Grand Righteous Qi, the more accurate their predictions. Since Chu Ge said so, it certainly wasn't a bluff.
"This old servant will go investigate immediately." The great scholar was about to retreat.
Suddenly, a voice resonated through the entire world. "I've found you, Chu Ge."
Boom!
Chu Ge's scalp tingled. That voice... it was Lu Hange.
Chapter 127: In Front of Me, You Don't Even Have the Right to Self-Destruct
"He's here!"
"It's him!"
Chu Ge's fear seemed to return. For a moment, Chu Ge panicked. He even forgot that he was a powerful Half-Immortal stage cultivator, just one step away from transcending and ascending to become a Confucian Immortal.
The great scholar was puzzled. Who was this person? To make the Chu family's Second Master show such fear...
"Second Master."
"Don't panic!"
"You are now a Half-Immortal stage expert, and you have us by your side."
As his words fell, figures appeared one after another. A full fifteen great scholars, each radiating the aura of a peak Mahayana stage cultivator. Such a formidable lineup was enough to overturn any immortal sect; as long as the opponent wasn't an immortal, they had a fighting chance.
Upon hearing this, Chu Ge finally calmed down a little. That's right! He wasn't the same person he was five years ago. He also had helpers sent by the Chu family, and Lu Hange was alone. There was no reason to fear him.
Thinking of this, Chu Ge took a deep breath, his eyes solemn. "Everyone, follow me out! Let him see the might of our Chu family!"
They all walked out of the great hall. The sunlight was somewhat dazzling. A black figure stood atop the hundred-meter-tall statue, looking down at Chu Ge and the others.
"Long time no see," Lu Hange said.
Chu Ge looked up at Lu Hange. Lu Hange was not much different from five years ago: aloof in temperament, indifferent in his eyes. Although Chu Ge couldn't sense Lu Hange's cultivation aura, his subconscious kept telling him that Lu Hange had also grown stronger.
Chu Ge didn't answer. Lu Hange just standing there gave him immense pressure.
"You really are vain," Lu Hange remarked. "Building statues of yourself all over the human territories for people to worship. It seems this is a method to cultivate Grand Righteous Qi. I see the Grand Righteous Qi on you is much stronger than five years ago."
Lu Hange smiled. Then, Lu Hange floated down from the statue.
Tap...
His shoes landed. The crisp sound made Chu Ge's heart tighten again. The fifteen great scholars around them didn't know Lu Hange, but seeing their Second Master's reaction, it was clear that the person wasn't easy to deal with.
"Impudent brat!"
"Seeing my Chu family, yet you don't kneel?!" a great scholar shouted.
In an instant, every word was a true word, imbued with the Dao. Lu Hange's body actually felt an urge to kneel, but in a flash, this impulse was suppressed.
"Words follow the Law?" Lu Hange's eyes flickered. Interesting! When literary cultivation reached a profound level, and Grand Righteous Qi was nurtured to a certain stage, one could communicate with the Great Dao through speech, directly making the opponent's body obey their command.
A single word could determine life or death! This felt somewhat like having one's soul instantly controlled. However, this kind of Words Following the Law was rather low-level. Lu Hange grew more interested in Grand Righteous Qi. If this novel power was used properly, it could save a lot of effort and energy in killing people in the future.
At this moment, Lu Hange's eyes showed a fiery glow. These fifteen great scholars became tempting elixirs in his eyes.
On the opposite side, the great scholar who had spoken was stunned. With his peak Mahayana stage cultivation and thousands of years of cultivating Grand Righteous Qi, his words were like decrees, yet Lu Hange hadn't obediently listened and knelt down.
Seeing this, the fifteen great scholars' expressions grew serious.
"Kneel!"
All fifteen spoke in unison. Their voices resonated through the heavens and earth, and the words "kneel down" even materialized into golden characters, carrying terrifying Dao power that slammed into Lu Hange.
Lu Hange's body swayed. But... it was just a sway.
"How is this possible!"
"Our Grand Righteous Qi has no effect!"
"Words Following the Law failed?" The great scholars were astonished.
Lu Hange raised his hand and gently waved it in the air. The Immortal Trapping Array rose, sealing off the area tightly, preventing anyone from leaving.
Lu Hange walked towards Chu Ge. "Today, will the Heavenly Dao still come to save you?"
Chu Ge was startled and took several steps back. The other great scholars roared.
"Stop!"
"Halt!"
"Retreat!"
...
Various words imbued with the Dao assaulted Lu Hange, but they only caused a slight ripple in his clothes. Words Following the Law truly had failed...
Seeing that Words Following the Law was ineffective, the fifteen great scholars decided to directly engage in combat. Although they mainly cultivated the literary path and nurtured Grand Righteous Qi, they were still peak Mahayana stage cultivators. When it came to fighting, they were by no means lacking, and sometimes, scholars fought even more fiercely.
However, their weapons were somewhat comical. Writing brushes, inkstones, scrolls... Lu Hange couldn't help but chuckle. Scholars fighting were truly different; even their weapons were completely unlike ordinary people's.
The next second, Lu Hange's smile vanished.
Boom!
A dragon's roar! A giant, ferocious dragon head appeared behind Lu Hange, its crimson-gold eyes staring intently at the fifteen great scholars. A terrifying dragon's might permeated the heavens and earth. "Kneel!"
Lu Hange spoke. At the same time, the dragon's head breathed, and its ancient aura was so oppressive it made it difficult to breathe.
The fifteen great scholars were stunned. Lu Hange was telling them to kneel? Unthinkable! Scholars were known for their pride and backbone.
"Kneel!" Lu Hange repeated.
The dragon head grew a dragon body, and even its scales became clearly visible, as if it were a real entity. The dragon's might intensified again!
This time, the faces of the fifteen great scholars showed expressions of pain. Their knees cracked, bones breaking inch by inch. Even as they struggled to straighten their bodies, the dragon's might seemed to crush their very spines.
Thud!
One great scholar couldn't hold on and fell to his knees. Then, thudding sounds echoed. The fifteen great scholars' knees dug deep into the soil, exposed white bone splinters protruding from their flesh, having been forcefully shattered.
"You're a dragon?"
"You clearly have a human aura."
"Are you a half-beast?" The great scholar coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Lu Hange didn't possess Words Following the Law. But he had Dragon's Might. The Golden Saint Dragon clan was a formidable race even in the Immortal World, and these great scholars were merely at the peak Mahayana stage. They simply couldn't withstand the Dragon's Might.
Lu Hange ignored these great scholars and walked towards Chu Ge. Seeing this, the great scholars quickly shouted, "Second Master, run!"
"Second Master!"
"This kid is invincible! Only the Young Master can contend with him!"
"We will die trying to hold him back!"
Given the vast disparity in strength, these great scholars had already thought of self-destructing. Frankly, cultivating to the peak Mahayana stage was not easy, and these great scholars didn't want to die. But as members of the Chu family, if they couldn't protect Chu Ge's safety, their fate would be even more terrifying than death.
Moreover, cultivators also had families. Their wives and children were all in the Chu family. If they died here, the Chu family might show some old affection and take care of their wives and children. If they cowardly escaped, their wives and children would certainly have no chance of survival. It was difficult for cultivators to have offspring, much harder than for mortals, so once they had children, no matter how selfish these cultivators were, they would consider their children.
"In front of me, you don't even have the right to self-destruct." Lu Hange reached out and grabbed. In an instant, a great scholar's soul was forcefully torn from his body. His agonizing screams were somewhat annoying. With his soul ripped out, his physical body lost control, making self-destruction impossible.
"Thanks to Ye Feng."
"I'm much more skilled at extracting souls now." The first time Lu Hange extracted someone else's soul was Ye Feng's. The first time he was clumsy, so he didn't grasp the process and force well, and Ye Feng screamed miserably for almost an hour. This time, Lu Hange was noticeably more skilled.
Indeed! Practice makes perfect!
Chapter 128: Sages Talk a Lot of Crap!
Killing was easy. These great scholars could be killed with a mere flick of his hand. But Lu Hange planned to use living people to refine elixirs, so it was best to keep them alive.
This scene terrified the other great scholars. Their thoughts of self-destructing vanished instantly. This person was too vicious. The pain of having one's soul torn apart was a hundred times more terrifying than death, and the crucial point was that once the soul was ripped out, one couldn't even die.
"Why aren't you calling the Heavenly Dao?"
"Do you think you can deal with me alone?" Lu Hange asked. He was forcing Chu Ge to call the Heavenly Dao. Now, Lu Hange no longer feared the Heavenly Dao. For this reason, Lu Hange kept urging Chu Ge to summon the Heavenly Dao; only when the Heavenly Dao appeared could Lu Hange proceed with his next plan.
Chu Ge was trembling with fear. At this moment, he realized that his fear of Lu Hange had never truly dissipated; it had merely been deliberately forgotten deep within him during the past five years. But when Lu Hange appeared, that fear began to spread, and in a daze, Chu Ge saw that sword from five years ago again.
"I'm not afraid of you!"
"I'm already at the peak of the Half-Immortal stage!"
"Just one more step, and I can transcend and ascend!! Killing a cultivator from a lower realm like you is easy!!" Chu Ge shouted. However, his expression made it hard to believe him. His words sounded more like he was trying to cheer himself on, but his voice lacked conviction, more like bluster.
Every step Lu Hange took forward, Chu Ge involuntarily took a step back.
Seeing this, Lu Hange chuckled. "Why are you retreating?"
"I..." Chu Ge's lips were dry; he didn't know what to say.
Lu Hange pulled out the Desolate Ancient Sword and casually twirled it. The Desolate Ancient Sword infinitely magnified the fear deep within Chu Ge, making his entire body tremble, his eyes glazed over, his mouth continuously muttering the same phrase: I am a powerful Half-Immortal stage cultivator, just one step from ascension, I fear no one.
His Dao Heart was unstable. Inner demons were growing. Lu Hange was his greatest inner demon.
"The Heavenly Dao's eye for choosing the World's Chosen One is still as poor as ever," Lu Hange shook his head. However, Chu Ge was much stronger than all previous World's Chosen Ones. On one hand, Chu Ge was a cultivator from another world, and his cultivation system and powers were different from this world's. On the other hand, Chu Ge had a very deep background.
Other World's Chosen Ones had no background, starting with just a system, relying entirely on exchanges for equipment. But Chu Ge had the Chu family behind him.
Currently, Chu Ge was troubled by his inner demons, unable to exert even five or six tenths of his cultivation.
"If the Heavenly Dao doesn't appear,"
"Then you'll die." Lu Hange raised the Desolate Ancient Sword.
Just then, a great scholar behind him shouted, "Second Master! You are the second young master of the Chu family, your elder brother is a Confucian Immortal about to ascend, your father is an immortal descendant, and you even have immortal blood in your body! Why are you so flustered?! You shouldn't fear him!!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Ge's eyes cleared considerably. That's right! I am a descendant of the Chu family. Immortal blood flows in my veins. I shouldn't be so cowardly!
At this moment, the Desolate Ancient Sword in Lu Hange's hand fell, directly cleaving towards Chu Ge's head. If this sword struck true, Chu Ge would surely not survive. The current Desolate Ancient Sword not only cut through flesh but also severed the soul.
The next second, Chu Ge's eyes narrowed slightly, and he urgently shouted, "Sage's Decree: Retreat a hundred meters!"
In an instant, the distance between Lu Hange and Chu Ge widened. Lu Hange looked closely; he had unknowingly returned to his previous position, which was exactly over a hundred meters away from Chu Ge.
Words Following the Law again! However, Chu Ge's Words Following the Law was much more advanced.
"Lu Hange, I will personally kill you!" Chu Ge stood up. It seemed he intended to confront Lu Hange head-on.
"Good job, Second Master!"
"Second Master didn't lose face!"
"The prestige of our Chu family is not something petty individuals can suppress!"
...
These great scholars, who were being suppressed like dogs themselves, began to egg Chu Ge on. In their hearts, Chu Ge was a Half-Immortal stage cultivator. As long as his Dao Heart was stable and he exerted his full strength, he could definitely defeat Lu Hange.
Lu Hange twisted his neck. "This is more interesting."
He swung his sword! It wasn't a sword move. This strike was purely sword intent. A white light flashed past. Chu Ge, a hundred meters away, narrowed his eyes and hastily shouted, "Sage's Decree: There should be no sword moves in the world!"
In an instant, the sword intent dissipated. Lu Hange's Desolate Ancient Sword swung through empty air.
Lu Hange's eyes flickered. Confucian Immortal! Truly formidable! Compared to other grand and sweeping techniques, the Sage's Decree was simply a matter of moving one's lips.
"Let's test it first." Lu Hange wasn't in a hurry to kill Chu Ge. He wanted to see the limits of the Sage's Decree.
Then, Lu Hange used different moves to attack Chu Ge.
"Sage's Decree: Cleanse the demons and pacify the world." Demonic energy dissipated.
"Sage's Decree: May there be no strife across the four seas." The sword move was neutralized.
...
Every time Lu Hange used a different attack, Chu Ge would shout a Sage's Decree, neutralizing Lu Hange's attack. Gradually, Lu Hange figured out Chu Ge's limits. Chu Ge could at most withstand thirty percent of his strength. If it exceeded this limit, Chu Ge would struggle greatly.
"Sage's Decree..." Chu Ge's mouth was getting dry from shouting. Lu Hange's attacks never stopped, and neither did his shouting.
The next second, Lu Hange stopped testing. He raised the Desolate Ancient Sword. In an instant, the true dragon blood absorbed by the Desolate Ancient Sword was activated. The sword intent was filled with brutality and slaughter. "You keep saying 'Sage's Decree.' Don't you have anything original to say?"
Chu Ge was startled. The sword was too fast. Much faster than his mouth. Lu Hange's sword was already before his eyes before he could even utter his Sage's Decree.
Swish!
A writing brush appeared horizontally before him. The sword struck down. The brush handle violently vibrated, instantly collapsing. A clear white mark appeared on the handle, and the sword edge even embedded itself an inch deep, injuring the artifact spirit within the brush, which let out a mournful cry.
"How is this possible!" Chu Ge's pupils constricted.
Bang!
Swoosh!
Chu Ge's chest suffered a sharp pain. Everything before his eyes blurred, and his body flew backward. Before his body could even hit the ground, a terrifying suction force forcefully pulled Chu Ge's retreating body back, and then, a fair, jade-like hand clamped onto his neck.
"I waited for a long time, thinking there would be new moves."
"But all you do is repeat 'Sage's Decree.' It's getting annoying." Lu Hange was very disappointed. Five years. He had thought that with the help of the system and the Heavenly Dao, Chu Ge would grow quickly, and their next confrontation would be more entertaining.
Unexpectedly, Chu Ge was still so weak. Even weaker than five years ago.
Chu Ge struggled continuously, mumbling and shouting, "Sage's Decree..."
Before he could finish, Lu Hange rewarded him with a slap that made Chu Ge's ears ring, blurring his vision. "Sages talk a lot of crap."
Chu Ge's heart filled with despair. So, Lu Hange had just been playing with him all along.
Chapter 129: What's Real? What's Fake?
At this moment, Lu Hange, though not overtly flaunting his aura, appeared like a demon god in Chu Ge's eyes.
"From now on, I don't want to hear the words 'sage words' again."
"If you insist on saying them, I'll cut out your tongue," Lu Hange said softly.
A few simple sentences were enough to scare Chu Ge senseless.
Of course, a severed tongue wasn't terrifying. What was terrifying was the way Lu Hange looked when he said it.
"Release Second Master!"
"If anything happens to Second Master, you'll be torn to pieces!"
"My Chu family will definitely dispatch all its forces to grind you to dust!!"
.....
The trapped great Confucian scholars grew frantic. The scenario they'd envisioned – Chu Ge effortlessly crushing Lu Hange – hadn't materialized. Instead, Chu Ge was easily subdued.
Keep in mind, Chu Ge was only one step away from becoming an immortal!
Such power, yet he was no match for Lu Hange's single move. It was utterly baffling.
The Western Extreme Realm, among countless minor worlds, was considered low to mid-tier. Especially after its ascension passage was sealed many years ago, the quality of its cultivators had declined even further, making it one of the bottom-tier minor worlds.
To think that such an adverse environment could produce a genius like Lu Hange was unbelievable!
Rip!
A few sounds of flesh tearing.
The tongues of several great Confucian scholars were cut off and fell to the ground.
"Lu Hange, I am the second son of the Chu family!"
"My ancestor is an immortal!"
"My elder brother is a Confucian Immortal!"
"You can't kill me! If you do, your entire world will suffer along with you!" Chu Ge was still attempting verbal threats.
But unfortunately, Lu Hange wasn't swayed by that.
Immediately, Lu Hange grabbed one of Chu Ge's arms. With a sickening snap, the arm was ripped off, flesh and bone clearly visible, even revealing Chu Ge's internal meridians.
As expected of a young master from a prominent family in another world, he had over two hundred meridians, significantly more than Lu Hange at his peak in his previous life.
Cultivators in the Western Extreme Realm typically had only a dozen meridians, with exceptional talents cultivating a few dozen. Lu Hange was the only one who had refined over a hundred meridians in this world, making him an absolute genius, a true child of destiny.
But in other worlds, Lu Hange would seem somewhat ordinary.
Indeed, the outside world truly was more exciting. Staying in the Western Extreme Realm would not only limit one's perspective but also block the path of cultivation.
"Ah!"
"Lu Hange!"
"I'll kill you!!" Chu Ge's expression was distorted, his face a contorted mess.
Having grown up spoiled and never experiencing such brutal treatment, Chu Ge was feeling this excruciating pain for the first time—it was far more agonizing than losing his vital essence five years ago.
The next second, the Ancient Desolation Sword flashed.
Chu Ge's left leg was directly severed from the root.
Blood gushed!
Chu Ge screamed even more terribly.
However, Chu Ge continued to threaten and shout. Lu Hange didn't stop. Every time Chu Ge cried out a threat, Lu Hange would lop off another part of his limb. In the end, Chu Ge was reduced to a "human swine," his life force extremely weak. He tried to use the vast righteous energy within him to heal his wounds, but it was useless.
"Lu Hange... let me go... my Chu family will give you many treasures, cultivation techniques, rare materials, beautiful women, whatever you want, my Chu family will give it to you..."
Chu Ge finally caved. He was afraid of death.
At this moment, he had completely forgotten about the Immortal Cauldron. If he could just survive and return to the Chu family, he would definitely hide in the family and never come out again.
"Where is Heavenly Dao?" Lu Hange asked.
Hearing this, a hint of unnatural redness finally appeared on Chu Ge's pale face: "I know where Heavenly Dao is. I'll tell you Heavenly Dao's whereabouts, and you let me go!"
Lu Hange chuckled, "Do you have the right to bargain with me?"
Chu Ge's face stiffened.
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you," Chu Ge quickly said.
At this point, he finally recognized his predicament.
Just as Chu Ge was about to speak, his eyes suddenly widened, and his entire face turned from flushed to purplish-black, as if he was enduring immense pain. Seeing this, Lu Hange frowned slightly.
"Chu Ge!"
"Speak!" Lu Hange slapped Chu Ge's face.
Splurt!
Chu Ge's stomach was torn open, and an old, withered hand emerged from within, pressing firmly against Lu Hange's chest.
Instantly, Lu Hange recoiled, his aura somewhat chaotic.
Lu Hange retreated dozens of meters, his eyes fixed on Chu Ge. A figure was drilling out of Chu Ge's body, the process like some creature shedding its skin.
Chu Ge kept spitting blood, his eyes dim, until the figure completely emerged from his body. Chu Ge fell to the ground with a thud, utterly lifeless.
"It's you again."
"Lu Hange." The figure stretched its limbs.
However, strangely, this person had no facial features; their face was a flat surface, and they were completely naked, blood dripping from their body.
The moment it touched the air, the figure's aged skin began to rapidly tighten. In just a few breaths, it transformed from an old man's body into a young man's physique.
Lu Hange straightened himself. "Are you Heavenly Dao?"
"I can be Heavenly Dao, or I can be anyone. Everything in this world was created by me, including you, Lu Hange." The faceless person clearly had no mouth, yet a voice emanated distinctly.
Lu Hange sensed it. Heavenly Dao had no aura. It stood there, seemingly merged with heaven and earth, visible only to the naked eye. But when his divine sense probed the area, it was an empty void, nothing there.
"You knew everything I was doing."
"Why didn't you stop me?" Lu Hange asked.
Heavenly Dao tilted its head. "Lu Hange, I thought you were a smart person. I didn't expect you to be far more foolish than I imagined."
Hearing this, Lu Hange frowned slightly. He didn't quite understand Heavenly Dao's meaning.
"Why didn't I step forward and kill you?"
"That question, you should understand."
"After all,"
"You've lived a second life." Heavenly Dao shook its head.
In an instant, Lu Hange's pupils constricted. Only Jiang Wuxu and the Ancient Desolation Sword knew about his reincarnation. Besides them, Lu Hange hadn't told a single soul, not even his closest companions, Yao Fan and Ji Hu.
Lu Hange was greatly alarmed. This was the first time his mental state had experienced such a massive fluctuation since his rebirth.
"Lu Hange, you learned about my injury from the Demon Race princess's mouth, and you deduced that my injuries hadn't healed and my power was greatly diminished."
"But have you ever considered something? That in your previous life, you lived for over five hundred years, why did you never hear of a Demon Race princess?"
"In your previous life, Ye Feng was a notorious lecher, collecting all the beauties in the world. With the Demon Race princess's beauty, do you think Ye Feng would have chosen to kill her? Or chosen to take her for himself?" Heavenly Dao spoke to itself.
Lu Hange couldn't help but take a few steps back. "What's real? What's fake?"
Chapter 130: Even if You're a Pig, I Can Make You Fly!
"Kid, you're still too young." The Heavenly Dao scoffed.
Lu Hange sneered, "How do I know you're not lying to me!"
"Lying to you?"
"I did lie to you."
"Ever since you were reborn, I began a series of arrangements. You could say I deceived you." The Heavenly Dao admitted it quite candidly.
Lu Hange remained silent. In truth, the more he thought about it, the more things didn't add up. In his previous life, he was imprisoned in the Sword Prison for a hundred years. After he came out, he spent very little time at the Three Thousand Dao Sect due to Ye Feng, mostly cultivating outside. During that time, he had interacted with many demonic cultivators, but he truly never heard of a Demon Princess from any of them.
In his previous life, the demonic race only had an Emperor. If the Princess truly existed, with Ye Feng's personality, she would definitely have been taken into his harem. Lu Hange knew Ye Feng too well; he'd rather be a debauched ghost on a bed than a gentleman beneath a skirt. As long as a woman had even a bit of beauty, Ye Feng would want to be with her eight hundred times a day, with a different position each time.
But Lu Hange had never seen the Princess appear beside Ye Feng, nor had he ever heard Ye Feng mention Zhu Zhu's name.
Could it be... Zhu Zhu was fake? Lu Hange's mind raced. The more he thought, the more something felt off!
Furthermore, there was another suspicious point: the Old Sect Master of the Three Thousand Dao Sects. And the Old Sect Master had the most suspicious points. Lu Hange was imprisoned in the Sword Prison for a hundred years. Not long after he came out, the Old Sect Master passed away. During those hundred years, Ye Feng had always been at the Three Thousand Dao Sect. If the Old Sect Master truly wanted to extend his lifespan by seizing luck, there were too many opportunities.
To take a step back, even if the Old Sect Master couldn't seize Ye Feng's luck, he could still refine Fusion Pills and consume others' vitality to extend his own life. No matter how one looked at it, the Old Sect Master shouldn't have died so early in the previous life. If he truly wanted to live, he would definitely have found a way to survive.
Lu Hange's expression changed. For some reason, a sense of panic actually emerged in his heart.
Seeing this, the Heavenly Dao chuckled softly. "You only thought that the Sect Master of the Three Thousand Dao Sects, Ye Feng, and Chu Ge were my pawns, and you even wanted to contend with me through them. But weren't you also my pawn? Essentially, there is no difference between you and them."
"What do you want to do?" Lu Hange asked.
The Heavenly Dao was silent for a few seconds. "The Void Dojo."
Upon hearing this, Lu Hange's eyes flickered. Did the Heavenly Dao know that he had the Void Dojo admission ticket?
"Hundreds of millions of years ago, I knew that only you, Lu Hange, could allow me to enter the Void Dojo. I waited countless years for your reincarnation. I have waited for far too long," the Heavenly Dao's tone became slightly agitated. When mentioning the Void Dojo, the Heavenly Dao clearly showed human emotional changes.
The Heavenly Dao sighed. Immortals did not lack time. But long waits were always torture.
Lu Hange looked puzzled. Seeing this, the Heavenly Dao explained. "It seems you haven't awakened the memories of your previous, previous life. I'll generously tell you: your previous, previous life was an immortal from the Immortal World. You came from the Void Dojo."
In an instant, Lu Hange's head buzzed.
Then, the Heavenly Dao raised its hand. The next second, a flickering, electronically sparking object appeared in its palm, occasionally emitting mechanical whirring sounds.
"This is the system."
"It also comes from the Void Dojo." The Heavenly Dao toyed with the system. This was the system that had wanted to bind with Lu Hange a few years ago. Ever since Chu Ge became the new World's Chosen One, this system had entered Chu Ge's body. Now, it was in the Heavenly Dao's hand.
The system was not a product of the Heavenly Dao. It was an external object. For this very reason, the system in the Heavenly Dao's hand continuously emitted harsh mechanical noises, trying to escape. Lu Hange had always thought the system was formless, colorless, and odorless. Today, he saw that the system actually had a shape, but ordinary people simply couldn't see it.
The Heavenly Dao pointed from afar. Lu Hange couldn't move. This entire world belonged to the Heavenly Dao. For Lu Hange to oppose the Heavenly Dao was equivalent to opposing the entire world.
"Look at you."
"Angry."
"Unwilling."
"You haven't changed one bit from your previous, previous self." The Heavenly Dao beckoned. Lu Hange was involuntarily drawn to the Heavenly Dao's side.
The Heavenly Dao lightly drew a finger across Lu Hange's chest, opening a ten-inch long incision that revealed his beating heart. Pale golden blood flowed throughout his body with each pump of his heart. This scene was a testament to extreme cruel beauty.
The Heavenly Dao admired the system in its hand for a moment, then slowly pushed the system into Lu Hange's heart.
"I need you to enter the Void Dojo."
Generally speaking, there were only two ways to enter the Void Dojo. One was to obtain an admission ticket to the Void Dojo; with a ticket, one could find the entrance and enter. The second was to have an internal member of the Void Dojo lead the way.
Clearly, the Heavenly Dao didn't know Lu Hange had an admission ticket.
Lu Hange looked on with cold eyes. Even now, he still felt the Heavenly Dao was lying to him. If his previous, previous life was a person from the Void Dojo, then he couldn't have received the inheritances of Jiang Wuxu and the Golden Saint Dragon, because both Jiang Wuxu and the Golden Saint Dragon were hunted to their deaths by people from the Void Dojo. There was a deadly feud between them.
"Do you think I'll believe you?" Lu Hange scoffed.
The Heavenly Dao was silent for a few breaths. "Whether you believe it or not means nothing to me."
"Lu Hange, in your previous, previous life, I killed you once. This life, I can kill you a second time. Even if my injuries aren't healed, you are also not as strong as you were then. If you weren't still useful to me, you'd be dead already. You should be grateful to me." The Heavenly Dao waved its hand, and the injury on Lu Hange's chest quickly disappeared. Everything was as if it had never happened.
But suddenly, a voice echoed in Lu Hange's mind.
"Hey, we meet again." It was the system's voice. The system was also helpless. As an auxiliary tool, it itself had no offensive capabilities. Whether facing Lu Hange's Desolate Ancient Sword or the Heavenly Dao, the system was in a passive state.
"Are you really from the Void Dojo?" Lu Hange asked the system.
The system looked bewildered. "I don't know either. My memory only contains instructions to help others achieve immortality. I don't remember my origin." The system's purpose was very simple: to help others become immortal. Besides that, it remembered nothing else.
"Our situation is pretty bad," the system said.
Lu Hange didn't answer. He also knew his situation wasn't good, mainly because the suppression from this world was too obvious. Unless he went to an independent space, the Heavenly Dao could use rules and the Great Dao to suppress Lu Hange, making him unable to move or resist at all.
"Kid, for both of us to survive, let's team up," the system surprisingly expressed fear of death.
"What's your idea?" Lu Hange asked in his mind.
"Are you kidding?!"
"I am the strongest auxiliary cultivation system!"
"Even if you're a pig, I can make you fly!!!"