"It's good that fellow Taoist Zhang is well. I can rest assured. Otherwise, brother Tianfeng wouldn't let me off easily," said Taoist Ziyun with a kind smile.
As he spoke, the old Taoist exchanged a glance with the old ghost Baihe(白鹤: White Crane). Both had a hint of surprise in their eyes.
They had naturally sensed the fluctuations of spiritual power around them and roughly deduced the intensity of the previous fight. They were secretly astonished that this fellow Taoist Zhang's strength could actually rival a mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
"Haha, I was just lucky. If it weren't for senior brother and the two fellow Taoists arriving so quickly and scaring off the enemy, I'm afraid Zhang would not have been able to hold on," Zhang Ling cupped his fist towards Taoist Ziyun and the other, responding politely.
"Fellow Taoist Zhang was able to restrain a mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivator for so long, I admit I couldn't do that," Taoist Ziyun stroked his beard and shook his head.
Zhang Ling didn't reply, only smiled. His battle with the ghost-masked youth was intense, but it didn't last long, only about fifteen minutes.
However, Senior Brother Tianfeng's face darkened, and he snorted. "Ziyun, today's matter is all because your information was inaccurate. I didn't expect there to be two mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivators. Now, not only did we fail to hold back the enemy, but we also ended up with a bloody nose."
"Brother Tianfeng, this is not my fault. It's those guys from Immortal City..." Taoist Ziyun's face also turned bitter, darkening slightly.
Halfway through his words, the old Taoist suddenly sensed something, quickly waved his hand, and a yellow spirit talisman flew up. It was the talisman he had just used to transmit information to Immortal City.
"What's wrong? What happened again?" the old ghost Baihe asked, his eyelids drooping. Ancestor Tianfeng and Zhang Ling also looked at the spirit talisman.
Taoist Ziyun stared at the spirit talisman, his eyes gleaming, examining some information. After a moment, he said with a gloomy face.
"Recluse Chiyun of Yanhai City, along with two fellow Taoists, and Wan, the old fellow from Cloud Sword Peak, intercepted the crimson monster we encountered in the mid-Nascent Soul stage on the border of the Tianyang Kingdom, on the other side of the Falling Star Mountains, and fought a battle.
They were about to capture these two people when suddenly a late-Nascent Soul stage alien demon appeared and rescued them. He also seriously injured Recluse Chiyun."
"What? A late-Nascent Soul stage alien demon? How could they come to our human territory? Didn't the Twelve Immortal Cities have an agreement with the alien demon race that neither side's grand cultivators could cross the border? Do these guys really want to provoke another conflict?" The old ghost Baihe exclaimed upon hearing this information.
Zhang Ling was also shocked, that it had alarmed a late-Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
If they had stopped these three enemies earlier, and during the battle, a late-Nascent Soul stage alien demon suddenly appeared, the situation would have been unimaginable.
Although he had been at a disadvantage in the battle against the ghost-masked youth, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to retreat. But if a true late-Nascent Soul stage cultivator had come, it was hard to say whether he could have escaped.
He vividly remembered the Bloodfiend Cultivator he had encountered a few years ago. That Bloodfiend Cultivator wasn't even at his full strength, yet he could rival several of their Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
Zhang Ling was not so arrogant as to think that he could really fight a late-Nascent Soul stage expert at this time.
The faces of Ancestor Tianfeng and the others also changed slightly.
"The Immortal City's agreement is only verbal, and it only has some binding force in normal times. If the alien demons invade, it's a different matter. It seems that it won't be long before the alien demon race invades again. Let's prepare early," Ancestor Tianfeng looked into the distance, his face gloomy.
He spoke with great certainty, and the others were silent for a while. After a moment, the four left the Falling Star Mountains, returning to their respective sects.
Zhang Ling and Ancestor Tianfeng returned to the Haoyuan Sect together. On the way, Zhang Ling asked, "Senior brother, will the alien demon race really provoke another conflict?"
"Although I'm not entirely sure, the alien demon race's late-Nascent Soul stage cultivators have already taken action, so it's likely not wrong. It may be in the next few years, at most ten years, that they will invade again. After returning, I must restrain the disciples of my sect from causing trouble and increase their strength to avoid losing their lives in vain."
Senior Brother Tianfeng nodded, his expression also worried. He suddenly said again, "Junior brother, didn't you also participate in the alien demon race war two hundred years ago?"
"Senior brother, you also know that I only had Foundation Establishment cultivation at that time. I was just a small character and didn't encounter any high-level alien demon cultivators," Zhang Ling chuckled.
"Haha, I forgot. But the alien demons are indeed difficult to deal with. Although we basically have the upper hand in every conflict, the alien demons have become a force to be reckoned with in recent centuries. Be very careful when facing these guys, especially the Nascent Soul level alien demon cultivators, who have many demonic secret techniques. It's best not to face them alone."
Senior Brother Tianfeng told him some information about the alien demon race.
Even without senior brother's explanation, Zhang Ling also had some understanding of these things. He had passed through the alien demon race's territory when he came back, and he knew quite a bit about the alien demons.
"By the way, junior brother, don't you often collect some materials? I have an invitation here. I don't know if you're interested." As they flew, nearing the sect, Ancestor Tianfeng changed the subject, reached into his robes, and took out a blue jade tablet.
Zhang Ling glanced at it and saw that it was just a mid- to high-grade magical instrument. Without him asking, Ancestor Tianfeng explained.
"This is the Sky Curtain Merchant Alliance token. Every sixty years, you can use this token to participate in a Nascent Soul level trade fair held by the Sky Curtain Merchant Alliance. There are often some rare materials and treasures appearing there. I plan to retreat and cultivate a secret technique recently, so I don't have time to participate. If junior brother is interested, you might as well take a look. Sky Curtain City is the main city of the Twelve Immortal Cities and the largest city on our human side. There are more than twenty Nascent Soul cultivators residing there, and various cultivation resources are extremely abundant."
"Thank you, senior brother. I happen to be worried about collecting a few materials," Zhang Ling revealed a happy expression and accepted the jade tablet without hesitation.
Ancestor Tianfeng was also very happy to see this.
……
After returning to the sect, Zhang Ling went into seclusion. He first spent three days recovering from the consumption of fighting the ghost-masked youth.
This battle was not only dangerous but also very consuming.
He could say that he used all his strength and fully urged the Black Bone Giant Claw, consuming most of his spiritual power.
Of course, if it were a life-and-death battle, Zhang Ling wouldn't be too afraid of this person. After all, there were still some methods that he hadn't used. At least in this battle, the Black Turtle only made a move once or twice and didn't exert its full strength.
However, this battle also gave him a clearer understanding of his own strength.
In particular, he tested the power of the Lethal Earth Formation for the first time. It seemed that its power was not great, but this was actually because he didn't trap the enemy in it.
The ghost-masked youth was not an ordinary mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivator, especially the ghost seal in his hand, which was a spirit treasure level treasure that Blue Sparrow spoke of.
This made Zhang Ling a little apprehensive.
Thinking of this, he sat cross-legged in the cultivation cave, waved his hand, and the Black Bone Giant Claw and the Bronze Ancient Lamp floated in front of him.
"Listening to the youth's words, this bronze lamp is called the Divine Essence Lamp and is a treasure of some King of the Underworld. Senior, do you know what the King of the Underworld is?" Zhang Ling's mind moved slightly, and he called out to Blue Sparrow.
After waiting for a while, Blue Sparrow's lazy voice came out.
"How would I know what this King of the Underworld is? There are too many such titles. However, speaking of the King of the Underworld, coupled with the youth you fought, who has already cultivated a half-ghost body, it reminds me of some legends from the Spirit World."
"Oh, legends from the Spirit World. Senior, why don't you tell me about them?" Zhang Ling's eyes flashed with interest.
"This is related to the theory of interfaces. You know, there are lower realms like yours, mixed with demons and spirits, spirit realms with abundant spiritual energy, ancient demon realms filled with true demonic energy, and various lower interfaces, middle interfaces, and so on."
"But most of the numerous interfaces are divided by interface power, spatial storms, and many other factors. The five elements of each interface are more or less different, which causes the difference between the interfaces. But uniquely, the legendary Netherworld Underworld is different. Do you believe in reincarnation?"
"Reincarnation."
Zhang Ling shook his head and asked, "Senior, have you seen someone who has reincarnated?"
He shook his head not because he didn't believe it, but because, like most people, he couldn't be sure. Even though he now had the strength of the Nascent Soul stage, he still doubted reincarnation.
"Hehe." Blue Sparrow didn't answer, just laughed strangely.
"The Spirit World is a middle-level large interface. There are often areas where spiritual power is chaotic, and spatial storms occur, so it will connect to some special interfaces. The Spirit World has been connected to six strange spaces full of Yin energy, which are called Yin Spirit Worlds. These spaces are of different sizes, and most of them are ferocious ghosts.
The Ancient Demon Realm and other interfaces have also had such independent spaces. It is said that this kind of space is a projection of the real Netherworld Underworld.
But whether the Netherworld Underworld really exists, there is no accurate answer among the various races in the Spirit World.
The King of the Underworld you mentioned, some people say, is the great demon ghost who controls the Netherworld Yin World. There is also another rumor that the Netherworld Yin is not a small interface, but an existence comparable to the True Immortal Realm. Many of the great demon ghosts inside have strength no weaker than True Immortals.
It's just that due to the rules of heaven and earth, it is difficult for us creatures to enter this realm. Perhaps only when you die can you know if this realm really exists." Blue Sparrow's voice came slowly.
The corners of Zhang Ling's mouth twitched as he looked at the Bronze Ancient Lamp, wondering if it was a treasure from the Netherworld Yin World. Whether it was or not, this thing must have a great relationship with the Ghost King Sect.
After thinking for a while, he put away the Bronze Ancient Lamp and looked at the Black Bone Giant Claw again.
This treasure was obtained from the Heavenly Que Palace after solving the Void Demon True Lord who was possessed by the corpse bear. The Void Demon True Lord specially designed a set of re-refining methods based on the palm of the Ancient Giant.
After Blue Sparrow's reminder, he incorporated the half bottle of Ancient Giant's blood that he had accidentally obtained into the bone claw, enhancing the power of this treasure. But this treasure was not really refined completely.
In the storage ring left by the Void Demon True Lord, there were many materials for refining this treasure. But there were still a few extremely precious materials that had not been collected.
After more than ten years of searching, he had collected some more. Even under that demon spring before, he had collected a lot of Geng metal ore.
But there were still three of the most top-notch materials that he had not obtained. Taiyi Gold Crystal, the wood core of ten thousand years of Mysterious Wood, and a material called Purple Refined Copper.
For him, these three materials, the wood core of ten thousand years of Mysterious Wood, were nothing. With the mysterious pearl, as long as he found a Mysterious Wood and urged it to ten thousand years, he could get it.
It's just that in recent years, Zhang Ling, in addition to the medicinal materials needed for alchemy, the spiritual liquid of the mysterious pearl, has mostly used it to urge the remaining three Two-Yi gourds.
But Taiyi Gold Crystal, Purple Refined Copper, these other two materials could not be found at all.
The token given by Senior Brother Tianfeng could participate in a Nascent Soul level trade fair, and there were still more than half a year before it was held. Such a Nascent Soul level trade fair was rare, and he did not intend to miss it, so he naturally had to take a look.
As for the half year in between, Zhang Ling did not intend to cultivate hard. He planned to refine a few high-level puppets.
In recent years, with the collection of the sect disciples, he had also gathered enough refining materials for ten or so high-level puppets. He could just refine a new batch to increase his strength a little.
In this way, Zhang Ling entered the refining room and became busy.
Half a year passed in a blink of an eye, and he left the sect and went to Sky Curtain City. Standing on the teleportation array of Yanhai City, a few flashes of spiritual light appeared in front of him, and Zhang Ling appeared in a huge stone hall.
Around him were ten or so shining teleportation arrays, constantly flashing with spiritual light. Many cultivators came and went. Stepping off the teleportation array and passing through two stone gates, he came outside.
Outside was a small square, with various cultivators walking around. In front of the square were sections of steps, leading all the way down to the city. He could see many tall pavilions, towers, and other buildings.
Looking as far as he could, he could also see a giant mountain shrouded in clouds in the center of the city.
That was Sky Curtain Mountain, also the main peak of the Continuous Cloud Mountains. The entire Sky Curtain City was built against the mountain, covering an area of five hundred miles.
Sky Curtain City is divided into six outer city areas and three inner city levels.
Although in his opinion, it was still not as good as Wandering Cloud Sea's Myriad Manifestation City, in the Northern Plains cultivation world, this city was indeed a first-class great immortal city.
The first cultivator of the Twelve Immortal Cities, the late-Nascent Soul stage Thunderlight Recluse, resided on Sky Curtain Mountain, and no one dared to act presumptuously here.
Walking a few steps along the square's stone steps, Zhang Ling saw not far away a girl in a yellow dress, holding a stack of light yellow parchment in her hand, smiling and introducing them to two red-clothed female cultivators.
"Welcome, seniors, to Sky Curtain City. This is a map of the immortal city, which marks the locations of the large and small merchant alliances and the characteristics of the items they sell. Do you need one, seniors? It's only ten spirit stones."
Zhang Ling didn't need to scan with his divine sense to see that the girl only had the strength of the seventh level of Qi Refining. Looking at her age, she was not very old, about fifteen or sixteen years old, but she had this kind of cultivation, so it seemed that her spiritual root aptitude was not bad.
He had just arrived in Sky Curtain City and needed such a city map, so he walked over.
Waving his hand and throwing out ten spirit stones, the yellow-clothed girl smiled and handed over a map. "Thank you, senior. This is a map that I drew myself. I wish you a pleasant time in the immortal city."
Zhang Ling casually took the map, glanced at it, and a yellow light flashed on his body, turning into a ray of light and flying out.
Sky Curtain City did not restrict cultivators from flying, but they could not fly high. Flying at a low altitude also made things much more convenient.
At this time, he suppressed his cultivation to the late Golden Core stage and planned to stroll around the outer area first. As for the trade fair, it would not be held for a few more days.
When the time came, it would be displayed on the token.
