noffsinger Chapter 1125 Shattered
Chapter 1125 Shattered
Shen Zhongming's calm voice echoed in the hall, and Chen Yuan finally understood what "spatial rifts" were and why they were the key to this great battle.
This is a long story, and it all started when the Spirit Realm invaded the Demon Realm.
In that earth-shattering war, the Demon Realm was no match for them and suffered repeated defeats. Both continents were occupied by the Spirit Realm's army and have yet to fully recover.
If it weren't for the Great Sage Turtle sacrificing himself at the last moment, transforming his body into a realm to sever the spatial passage cleaved by the Heavenly Axe of the Void, the Demon Realm would have been completely conquered by the Spirit Realm and reduced to dust.
Turtle Island blocked the advance of the spirit army, but it was not a permanent solution.
Human strength has its limits. The Great Sage Turtle is incredibly powerful, and even ordinary Great Sages would have to admit defeat. But in the end, he is just a Great Sage, not a true immortal descended to earth.
Even when he uses his immortal techniques, he can only create a secret space, not a real interface.
Even the vast world has a lifespan, let alone a mere spatial secret realm.
As time passed, Turtle Island was eroded by spatial turbulence and spatial storms, as well as by the endless war between the two realms. The spatial barrier slowly became weaker and began to show signs of damage. These gaps and holes were called "spatial rifts".
Spatial rifts are not ordinary spatial cracks; once formed, they stabilize and can never disappear.
Since Tyrant Turtle Island is embedded in the Burning Demon Realm, once these spatial fragments are formed, they will penetrate the boundary barrier of the Burning Demon Realm, forming a spatial passage through which cultivators from the Spirit Realm can enter the Burning Demon Realm.
Three hundred thousand years have passed, and spatial fragments have continued to appear on Turtle Island, eventually leaving thirty-seven, which happen to correspond to the thirty-seven Great Sages of the Demon Burning Realm.
Five more spatial rifts disappeared, not because they vanished on their own, but because they were repaired by the demons of the Burning Demon Realm before they could take shape, thus severing the spatial passage leading to the Burning Demon Realm.
Since a spatial rift is a damaged area, it can certainly be repaired. However, it requires a large amount of spatial spiritual materials, which even Mahayana cultivators cannot afford. Only by gathering the power of an entire realm can it be repaired completely, and this must be done before it is fully formed.
However, the Demon Burning Realm cannot repair the spatial rift before it appears. It can only investigate after discovering signs of the spatial rift, find its exact location before it fully takes shape, and then use spatial spiritual materials to mend the spatial rift.
The Spirit Realm was blocked by the demon race on Tyrant Turtle Island. Spatial rifts were the best way to invade the Burning Demon Realm, so naturally they would not sit idly by and watch the demon race repair the spatial rifts.
Upon discovering signs of spatial rifts, cultivators from the spirit realm will also search for their location and prevent the demon race from repairing them, waiting for the spatial rifts to fully form.
Once the spatial rifts stabilize, the cultivators of the Spirit Realm will build a giant city nearby and patiently wait for it to open.
After the spatial rift is formed, a spatial passage leading to the Demon Burning Realm will be created within it. However, it is not always open and closed, but rather like the ebb and flow of the tide, sometimes open and sometimes closed, sometimes hidden and sometimes visible.
No one knows the specific reason. According to the speculation of several Mahayana cultivators in the Spirit Realm, it should be related to the operating laws of all the heavens and myriad worlds, involving the deepest mysteries of the Great Dao, which only immortals can know.
Every 7,849 years, the spatial rift will open, and the various sects of the Spirit Realm will organize a large army of cultivators to invade the Demon Burning Realm. The Demon Burning Realm will also do its best to resist, resulting in a true war between the two realms.
In order to better block the army of the spirit realm, the demon race of the Burning Demon Realm also built giant cities next to every spatial rift, confronting the giant cities built by the cultivators of the spirit realm.
The reason why the Tai Xuan Sect entered Tyrant Turtle Island this time is because the Spirit Realm discovered signs that a spatial rift was about to be formed.
If we can find the exact location of this spatial rift and prevent the demon race from repairing it, we can build the thirty-eighth giant city next to it.
However, the Demon Burning Realm also discovered signs of this spatial rift and could not stand idly by while it took shape, so a great battle between the two sides was inevitable.
The process of the spatial rift forming was extremely long. The spirit world noticed it hundreds of years ago and, after tireless investigation, finally narrowed the area to within a radius of several million miles a few years ago, and then built a large camp there.
The key to this battle is to prevent the demon race from repairing the spatial rift, and to achieve this, the exact location of the spatial rift must first be found.
The next task for the group of Nascent Soul cultivators was to lead their subordinates to explore the exact location of the spatial rift separately, while simultaneously preventing the demon race from investigating the spatial rift.
Because the spatial fluctuations emitted by spatial rifts are extremely subtle, the only way the spirit realm can detect spatial rifts is to set up a large array and actively emit similar spatial fluctuations to search for areas where spatial rifts may exist.
In order to resonate with the subtle spatial fluctuations of the spatial rifts, the spatial fluctuations generated by the array spread extremely slowly, requiring at least a month to cover a thousand miles.
This is something that can't be helped. The Tyrant Turtle Island was created by the Great Sage Tyrant Turtle using a secret immortal technique. The spatial barrier is interwoven with mysterious laws, making it difficult for outsiders to see. Even the appearance of spatial rifts is extremely secretive before it truly takes shape.
The Spirit Realm's method of exploring spatial fragments requires the consumption of precious top-grade spiritual materials, while the Demon Burning Realm's method is much simpler, but also much more ruthless.
The Demon Realm's mastery of cultivation arts is far inferior to that of the Spirit Realm, and they cannot use formations, magic treasures, or other methods to search for spatial fragments.
However, the demon race also has an advantage, namely that Turtle Island was transformed from the body of the Great Sage Turtle.
As everyone knows, the Great Sage Turtle possessed the Xuanwu bloodline in his previous life. After advancing to the Great Sage level, his bloodline underwent a complete transformation, and his strength was comparable to that of a True Spirit. However, his true form was still a Turtle, and it was impossible for him to erase the Turtle bloodline from his body.
The demon race places great importance on bloodlines and its research on bloodlines is far more in-depth than that of the human race. Ever since the first spatial rift appeared, the Burning Demon Realm has been searching for a way to investigate it, and finally it came to the Tyrant Turtle Clan.
A great sage created a secret technique. After the Tyrant Turtle clan learned it, they could use their bloodline connection with the Great Sage Tyrant Turtle to find traces of spatial fragments by consuming their essence blood, which was much faster than setting up an array.
The only drawback of this secret technique is that once it is used, it cannot be stopped until all the vital essence and blood are exhausted.
Those who wish to peek into the secret realm created by the Great Sage Turtle using immortal techniques will naturally have to pay a price.
The demon race relies on bloodlines; once their essence and blood are exhausted, the tyrant turtle will also perish.
The best way for everyone to stop the demon race from searching for the spatial rift is to kill the tyrant tortoise in the demon army.
……
After Shen Chongming finished speaking, he clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the Tai Xuan Sect members before retreating, and the main hall fell silent once again.
Master Fu slowly spoke: "Young friend Shen has made it very clear that if this spatial rift takes shape, it will be the thirty-eighth spatial rift on Tyrant Turtle Island."
"The Demon Realm only has thirty-seven Great Saints. This spatial rift will break the stalemate between the two realms, and the demon race will definitely do everything in its power to stop it."
"Soon, the array masters of Liexiao City and Bachu City will teach the array masters of our sect how to detect spatial fragments. Seven days later, you will all need to lead your cultivators to search for spatial fragments."
"Remember, the goal of this battle is not to kill as many demons as possible, but to find the exact location of the spatial rift as soon as possible."
"The first person to find the spatial rift will be richly rewarded, and the merit of slaying the demon race will be rewarded according to the custom of Tyrant Turtle Island."
"The spatial rift will be fully formed within thirty years. Whether our sect can build the thirty-eighth giant city on Turtle Island depends on who can take the lead. You must all go all out and not slack off in the slightest!"
When Master Fu finished speaking, he looked at Chen Yuan and the others on his right, a rare stern look flashing in his eyes.
"We will obey the orders of our sect leader (Master Fu) and fight to the death!"
Chen Yuan and the others bowed down in unison, their expressions solemn, their voices echoing in the hall. The King of Jingjiang said in a deep voice, "Cultivators of Ba Chu City, listen to my command. If Tai Xuan Sect can build a city, our Spirit Realm can completely gain the upper hand on Ba Gui Island and also share the pressure on Luo Du City."
"This matter concerns the overall situation, and none of you may be negligent in the slightest. Those who disobey will be severely punished by me!"
"We will obey the orders of our sect leader (Prince Jingjiang)!"
The cultivator from Ba Chu City responded with a booming voice, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect.
The middle-aged Taoist priest spoke calmly: "The cultivators of Liexiao City must do their utmost and obey Fellow Daoist Fu's orders. If anyone disobeys orders, this humble Taoist priest will not show any mercy."
"We will humbly obey the decree of the Daoist Master!"
The middle-aged Taoist spoke lightly, but the cultivators from Liexiao City were even more serious than those from Bachu City, their expressions extremely earnest.
Seeing this scene, Chen Yuan couldn't help but recall the records about the Liexiao Sect in the ancient texts.
Among the hundred or so Mahayana cultivators in the Spirit Realm, those who did not establish their own sects, such as Zhumingzi, were mostly unknown.
However, the leaders of the seventy-four Mahayana sects were renowned and their fame spread throughout the entire Spirit Realm.
Mahayana cultivators reside at the pinnacle of the Spirit Realm, already revered by all cultivators. They establish sects, govern a region, and stand firm for hundreds of thousands of years. Their disciples constantly praise their prestige, and over time, it spread throughout the Spirit Realm, becoming known to everyone.
The middle-aged Taoist was the same. His Taoist name was Chongyangzi. It is said that he cultivated the ruthless Taoist method, was indifferent in nature, extremely strict in managing his subordinates, and established a variety of rules.
In the spiritual realm where the Liexiao Sect is located, from mortals to cultivators, everyone must worship the Three Pure Ones every day and abide by the eighty-one precepts. The atmosphere of purifying the mind and reducing desires and cultivating the Tao through meditation is prevalent in the mortal world.
These cultivators from Liexiao City all wore Daoist robes according to regulations, and even the cultivators from other races did the same, addressing Chongyangzi as "Daoist Venerable".
Fortunately, in all the myriad realms, regardless of race, those with high cultivation can transform into human form, with the Void Refinement realm as the dividing line, without exception.
A few races that cannot transform into human form, like the Green Mantis Clan, are naturally similar to humans and thus can wear the robes of the Liexiao Sect, though they look somewhat out of place.
The three Mahayana cultivators gave orders one after another, while the barefoot old Taoist remained silent, only smiling and appearing very amiable.
Master Fu then ordered everyone to step down, and they bowed in obedience and left the main hall.
Looking at the backs of the group, Zhang Daoren suddenly spoke up: "Fellow Daoist Fu convened a meeting of Nascent Soul cultivators today, why are there also Void Refinement cultivators participating?"
Master Fu said calmly, "This boy is called Chen Yuan. He has some connection with me, as we ascended from the same realm."
"He cultivates both physical and magical techniques, and his strength is no less than that of a Nascent Soul cultivator. He serves as an elder in our sect, and his status is equal to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator."
A golden light flashed in the eyes of the Prince of Jingjiang, and he said in a deep voice, "Judging from this young man's appearance, he is not even a thousand years old, yet his body faintly radiates golden light. He is quite remarkable even among demon saints."
"There is a mysterious power hidden within him that even I cannot see through. He has the potential to reach the Great Ascension stage in the future. Although he is only at the Refining Void stage, he surpasses all the Integration stage cultivators under your command."
A slight ripple appeared on Chongyangzi's indifferent face: "Fellow Daoist Jingjiang's pupil technique is unparalleled, and he is most skilled at observing qi. What he says must be true. Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Fu on gaining such a fine disciple."
Master Fu smiled slightly: "The Mahayana path is extremely difficult. This child only has a little potential and does not deserve such praise from you two fellow Daoists."
"However, this boy has some good fortune. He has refined the true blood of the Kunpeng. He might be of some use in this search for spatial fragments."
The Prince of Jingjiang raised an eyebrow: "True Spirit Blood? My Liu family from the Chu Spirit Domain also has an elder here. If this boy can find the spatial rift, I will reward him handsomely."
Chongyangzi said calmly, "I have a piece of ten-thousand-year-old elixir jade. Whoever among the three of us finds the spatial rift will be able to obtain this jade."
Zhang Daoren raised his hand to stroke his beard and slowly said, "I have extracted a hundred strands of primordial energy from a newly born chaotic void, and I will now bestow it upon the person who finds the spatial rift."
"However, although this boy possesses the true blood of the Kunpeng, his cultivation level is somewhat low. It will probably not be easy for him to take these treasures."
The three spoke indifferently; the true spirit blood, so rare in the spirit realm, could only cause a slight ripple in their eyes before returning to calm.
……
After returning to his residence, Chen Yuan took out a communication talisman and summoned Zhang Yanwei, ordering him to instruct the Lingyun Sect cultivators, dragon people, and Green Mantis Clan to prepare for battle. He also ordered Wu Xuan to find Shen Chongming and obtain the array formation method, array plate, array flag, and spatial spiritual materials.
Most of the cultivators in the Tai Xuan Sect who have a talent for array formations joined Xingheng Peak after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. There are very few array formation masters on other peaks, so the Nine Palaces need to send them out.
However, as a master of formations, Wu Xuan could direct cultivators to set up this formation, thus saving him this trouble.
After leaving the main hall, Bai Zangzhou summoned everyone and gave each of them a jade slip containing a very detailed map marking all the places that needed to be explored. He told them to choose their own locations and report back to him three days later.
Spatial rifts only appear in the dimly lit areas of Turtle Island, and only in such extremely unstable regions will the spatial barrier break.
Each cultivator at the Integration Stage must explore a dark area, and they can also cooperate, but the number of dark areas they need to explore will increase accordingly.
These dark places are interspersed among patches of calm sky, some thousands of miles apart and others tens of thousands of miles apart, requiring careful consideration.
It's better to be closer, as we're very close to the main camp and can look out for each other.
But the further they went, the closer they got to the territory occupied by the demons, the greater the risks became.
The existence of these dark places makes the space on Turtle Island extremely unstable, making it impossible to travel between them using teleportation arrays, and even divine senses are blocked by them.
If they are caught in a crisis, they can only send cultivators to ask for help, but often they die at the hands of the demon race before the reinforcements arrive.
In order to increase the speed of exploring the spatial fragments, it is impossible for everyone to gather together; they must be dispersed. This makes choosing the direction of exploration crucial.
If they choose the wrong direction and run into the demon army, the cultivators at the Integration Stage might have a chance to escape, but their subordinates would suffer.
However, the process of investigating the array is extremely complicated, requiring a great many spiritual materials and array flags. With the loss of many cultivators under his command, it is impossible to set up the array with only Nascent Soul cultivators. It will also take time to re-refine the array plate.
Chen Yuan had already agreed with Elder Yuan and Wei Wushang to join forces against the enemy in this battle, so he could not make the decision alone. After arranging everything, he went to find the two to discuss it.
The three were lucky; three Nascent Soul cultivators working together was the maximum allowed. Any more would greatly reduce the speed at which they could probe the spatial rift. (End of Chapter)