ragginovel Chapter 2596 The Monument to the Martyrs
Chapter 2596 The Monument to the Martyrs
Chapter 2596 The Monument to the Martyrs
After their initial joy, Qin Sang and Yuan Zhenjun looked at the altar, their expressions gradually becoming serious.
Although Yuan Zhenjun did not detect anything unusual, no one knew what they would encounter if they were moved there.
Ideally, the opposite side, like the altar at Yongquan Mountain, should be sealed away somewhere. If it's already under the control of another force, they'd be walking right into a trap.
"I will now report this matter to Celestial Master Zhang!"
After careful consideration, Yuan Zhenjun decided to use a talisman to send a message, and soon received an imperial edict from Zhang Tianshi.
The worry in Yuan Zhenjun's eyes vanished instantly, and he looked at Qin Sang: "Please, Qin Tianjun, activate the altar and be ready to summon the Thunder Ancestor at any time!"
With Qin Sang summoning Lei Zu and Zhang Tianshi watching over them, and after surveying the entire spirit realm, it was estimated that there were few dangerous situations they couldn't overcome.
Upon hearing this, Qin Sang was completely relieved and silently activated the guardian deities within the altar to sense the Thunder Ancestor.
In the darkness, Qin Sang successfully established a connection with the Thunder Ancestor in the Divine Court, so that he could use magic at any time if he encountered danger.
Once prepared, Yuan Zhenjun activated the altar, and the altar's spiritual light immediately enveloped him and Qin Sang.
……
'Splash...'
The vast expanse of blue water was ruffled by a gentle sea breeze, and a flock of unidentified seabirds flew overhead.
Under the blazing midday sun, the seabirds' white feathers reflect shimmering light, making anyone observing them on the sea feel dizzy.
'Quack!'
The flock of seabirds seemed to have discovered something, and began to call out in waves.
Suddenly, all the seabirds folded their wings, transformed their slender bodies into arrows, and used their sharp beaks as arrowheads to shoot rapidly into the seawater.
'Clap clap clap! '
Water splashed everywhere, and a splash of blood appeared. A seabird was the first to emerge from the sea, carrying a strange-looking sea beast in its beak.
The sea monster let out a sharp cry, trying to pry open the seabird's beak with its tentacles, but the seabird's sharp beak was extremely hard, like an iron clamp firmly biting into the sea monster's vitals.
'Pfft!'
With a powerful bite, the seabird, its beak glowing with a faint white light, tore the sea monster apart, spraying out crimson blood. Then, the seabird tilted its head back and swallowed the powerless sea monster whole.
More and more seabirds returned from hunting and feasting, but some seabirds ultimately failed to make it out.
The blood kept increasing, turning the sea red, and shadowy figures swam beneath the surface.
The seabirds, having lost their companions, let out sharp cries and hovered low in the air, seemingly mourning their fallen comrades or intimidating the marine life beneath the surface.
A great battle between the two groups was about to erupt when suddenly the birdsong became cacophony. The seabirds looked towards the horizon, as if they had seen something terrifying. Their eyes were filled with terror, and then they frantically flapped their wings and scattered. At the same time, the sea creatures swimming underwater also became restless, ignoring their predators above, and dived down one after another.
'Whoosh! '
A strong gust of wind swept across the sea, like an invisible sword aura, carving a deep trench in the water and instantly traversing the battlefield.
The darting seabirds and diving sea beasts were all frozen in place, their bodies cut into countless pieces, then as if they had crashed into an invisible air barrier, twisting and deforming, and instantly turning into ashes.
In the eye of a seabird, the scene it saw before it died remains even as it is broken.
Under the blazing sun, between the sea and the sky, thousands upon thousands of streaks of light and countless flying shuttles formed a massive army of cultivators, charging towards them in a mighty and overwhelming manner. Crushing them all was the killing intent emanating from the army of cultivators.
'Boom!'
One moment the sea breeze was gentle and the sky was cloudless, the next dark clouds gathered and thunder roared. The army of cultivators resembled a terrifying monster, their overwhelming killing intent materializing and influencing the celestial phenomena.
When they arrived at this sea area, suddenly streams of light shot out from the army of cultivators. Within these streams of light were all kinds of magical treasures and countless supernatural powers and spells.
These attacks varied greatly, clearly not originating from a single force, but rather appearing to be a hastily assembled rabble. However, upon closer observation, some patterns could be discerned: the cultivator army was not attacking randomly, but rather under the command of someone behind the scenes.
All the attacks were directed at the sea surface, but there was clearly nothing there.
The army of cultivators persevered, their offensives like a tidal wave, sweeping across the entire sea again and again, leaving no inch untouched.
Before long, something strange actually happened in this sea area. Strange phenomena appeared in the void, like fragments of an illusion, which were being shattered by the continuous onslaught!
Within the fragments of the illusion, the outline of an island faintly emerges.
Upon seeing this immortal island, the army of cultivators erupted in thunderous cheers, and with renewed vigor, swept away the fragments of the illusion.
Within the illusion.
The island is like a fairyland, full of spiritual energy and unparalleled beauty.
There seems to be a cultivation sect on this island, with pavilions and towers scattered in a well-organized manner, protected by a powerful array. Unfortunately, the illusions seen from the outside are part of the island's protective array. Once the illusions shatter, the island's protective array will soon be broken as well!
At this moment, a group of cultivators gathered on the mountaintop, looking at the scene outside the great formation, some with fear and some with anger.
Most of them wore blue Taoist robes, and the most powerful among them were a man and a woman, both Nascent Soul cultivators, who were the leaders of this group of cultivators.
"Master! Mistress! The six major sects are about to break through the island's protective formation, why won't they let us make a move!"
A young man knelt heavily before them, his cries filled with anguish.
The other disciples also looked puzzled. They didn't understand why the sect leader neither resisted nor led them to escape. Was he going to sit and wait for death, letting their Xiaoyun Sect be wiped out by the six major sects of the continent?
The questions went unanswered, and some disciples showed deep disappointment.
"This disciple would rather perish with the island-protecting formation!"
Led by the young man, a group of disciples kowtowed to the two men, ready to disregard their master's orders and go out to fight.
At this moment, their master, the sect leader of the Xiaoyun Sect, seemed to finally come to his senses and shouted sternly, "Insolence! Come back!"
He was also filled with rage, wishing he could tear the cultivators of the six major sects to shreds, but he hadn't given the order. He suppressed his anger, his heart burning with anxiety, when finally he heard a faint voice.
"Have all the sects from the land come this time?"
"Reporting to the Ancestor, all six major sects have mobilized their full forces! It's the perfect opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop!"
"Are they still the same six major sects? So many years have passed, and the cultivation world on land hasn't made any progress," the patriarch said noncommittally, just chuckled. "Tell them to stop immediately, and the Xiaoyun Sect will open the island's protective formation and let all cultivators at the Dongxuan level in."
"what?"
The sect leader of Xiaoyun Sect exclaimed in shock, and the disciples also saw their sect leader lose his composure.
Although he was very puzzled, he dared not question the patriarch's decision. After struggling, he did as the patriarch instructed.
The battlefield suddenly fell silent, with only the voice of the Xiaoyun Sect Master echoing across the sea and reaching the ears of all the cultivators.
On a spirit ship, the leaders of various sects gathered together. This war to attack the Xiaoyun Sect involved almost all the immortal sects on land, along with some well-known rogue cultivators, with the six major sects at the forefront.
The Xiaoyun Sect, which had just been shouting and cursing evil, suddenly fell into a deathly silence.
In the cultivation world, the Xiaoyun Sect is an overseas demonic sect, and everyone wants to condemn it.
There have always been rumors about ascension and the Immortal Realm in this world, but for countless years, no matter how talented a cultivator was, not one had successfully ascended. It wasn't until ten thousand years ago that people learned of the existence of the Xiaoyun Sect overseas, and that the secret of ascension had been kept by the Xiaoyun Sect.
Not content with holding the secret of ascension, the Xiaoyun Sect, fearing that other sects might overtake them and seize the secret, sent a great demon to abduct powerful figures from various sects who held the Dongxuan Dharma Position, euphemistically calling it "inviting them to the Immortal Island."
After that, the Xiaoyun Sect became even more powerful and invincible.
In the world of cultivation, whether it is a famous sect or a family of independent cultivators, no matter how far they hide, as long as someone advances to the Cave Profound Dharma Rank, they will be sent to the Cloud Order and disappear without a trace.
It is widely rumored that they were all abducted into a demon's lair, subjected to all kinds of torture, and finally had their life essence drained to become nourishment for the demon.
During that period, everyone in the cultivation world was in danger, to the point that no one dared to break through to the Cave Profound level, preferring to die at the Ascending Profound level.
Later, the Xiaoyun Sect went even further, not even sparing cultivators in the late stage of the Ascension Realm, causing widespread suffering and a drop in strength across the continent's cultivation world.
Fortunately, this situation changed after thousands of years. One day, a cultivator broke through to the Dongxuan Dharma position with great fear, but did not receive the Xiaoyun Token.
After that, the Cloud Order truly disappeared without a trace, the cultivation world gradually recovered its vitality, and then voices calling for the exorcism of demons began to appear.
The demon's sudden withdrawal suggests he may already be dead, presenting an excellent opportunity to attack the Xiaoyun Sect. Otherwise, if a new demon emerges within the Xiaoyun Sect, terror will once again descend upon them. Their true objective, however, is for the Xiaoyun Sect to possess the secret of ascension!
"Do not listen to the demon's words, there must be a trap inside!" A loud shout startled the cultivators, immediately drawing a chorus of agreement.
But some people whispered their doubts, "What if the Xiaoyun Sect wants to protect itself and is about to reveal the secret of ascension?"
Many people fell silent again, looking at the six sect leaders seated above.
They all knew very well that defeating the demon was secondary; the secret of ascension was of paramount importance. If it led to the destruction of the entire Xiaoyun Sect and ruined the secret of ascension, they would regret it too late!
This siege of the Xiaoyun Sect was led by the six major sects, and the six sect leaders were all powerful figures at the Dongxuan level. Whether or not to heed the words of the Xiaoyun Sect leader was a decision for the six major sects.
Soon, the six sect leaders ordered the others to leave, leaving behind all the experts at the Dongxuan level. It is unknown what they discussed, but they ultimately ordered a halt, and then the Dongxuan level cultivators flew out of the spirit ship.
As expected, the Sect Master of Xiaoyun Sect kept his promise, put away the island's protective formation, and personally went out of the island to greet them.
"We're in now, what tricks are you going to pull now!"
An old Taoist priest shouted in a deep voice. He was the abbot of Huazhen Temple, one of the six major sects.
Everyone remained vigilant, taking in the situation on the island. They discovered that the Xiaoyun Sect's strength was not as great as they had imagined. However, the northern part of the immortal island was shrouded in mist and clouds, making it difficult to see clearly, which might indicate an ambush.
The sect leader of Xiaoyun Sect snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and turned to fly towards the sea of mist. "If you have the guts, come with me. Once we reach Yuxian Valley, you'll understand everything."
The group looked at each other in bewilderment. After a moment, the old Taoist priest took the lead, and the others followed suit.
They followed the sect leader of the Xiaoyun Sect into the fog sea, but did not encounter any traps. They were eventually led to a valley.
The valley seemed extremely vast, almost occupying half of the fairy island, with the three large characters "Encountering Immortal Valley" carved on the cliff face.
"All your missing ancestors are inside!"
The sect leader of Xiaoyun Sect left a message and entered the valley on his own, causing an uproar.
The crowd, incredulous, filed in, only to witness a horrifying scene.
Within the Valley of Encounters, waterfalls cascaded and springs flowed, and exotic flowers and rare herbs were everywhere. In this place that resembled a fairyland, stone platforms were carved out, and on each platform sat a human figure—all of them were corpses.
"Grandmaster!"
The sect leader of Yuanwu Mountain, one of the six major sects, exclaimed in surprise upon seeing a female cultivator, for she was one of her patriarchs.
More and more people are discovering that the sect's patriarchs, whom they thought had fallen into the clutches of evil, are all here. Although they no longer bear the scent of life, they are all unharmed, clearly having died of old age!
What exactly did our ancestors encounter in their lives?
At this moment, they also noticed the depths of Yuxian Valley, where a dazzling rainbow light shone, and standing in front of the rainbow light was a man in white who was still alive.
This man's demeanor was unlike anything they had ever seen in their lives; even the leaders of the six major sects were ashamed of their own inferiority.
"You...you are the demon who kidnapped my master!" Someone pointed at the man in white, their face filled with terror.
"A demon? Heh..."
The white-robed man's laughter was tinged with sorrow as his gaze swept over the statue-like corpses. "It wasn't me who abducted them; they came with me willingly. Even if I wanted to drive them away, they wouldn't leave. Because I gave them the opportunity to become immortals, but unfortunately, they are all dull-witted, and not one of them can comprehend it!"
"You fiend, stop talking nonsense!"
The crowd roared in anger, "Those who have gone missing are all outstanding talents of their time, not dullards!"
The man in white ignored him, his eyes filled with growing sorrow. He suddenly pointed at the rainbow light and said, "You want the secret to ascension? The secret to ascension is right here!"
The crowd was skeptical, but upon closer inspection, they saw countless runes within the rainbow light. These runes resembled a kind of talisman, which had existed for countless years, yet the rainbow light remained dazzling.
Inside the rainbow light was another world, a Dharma altar.
They tried to memorize the incantation, but suddenly felt dizzy. They still couldn't bear to close their eyes. At that moment, they understood why their ancestors were unwilling to leave the valley even in death.
Hearing the Way brings joy; hearing the Way is truly delightful!
The rainbow light encompasses everything, and the Great Dao is within it. Who would be willing to leave? Those corpses are actually monuments to martyrs.
Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, the man in white was filled with sorrow. He too had once harbored such ambitions, using this to break through to the fifth level of the Dharma, believing he could pave the way for ascension in this realm. But even with the combined efforts of all the geniuses of this realm, they could not fathom the mysteries of the rainbow light. His time was also drawing near, and he was utterly disheartened.
Just as everyone was captivated by the talisman, the man in white suddenly widened his eyes.
An unprecedented blue light flashed on the altar, followed by the appearance of two figures.