Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 783: Golden Core Falls

In reality, the Yang Family’s so-called ceremony should be a type of Nuo ritual passed down through generations.

In ancient times, the number of Cultivators was very, very small. Not to mention immortal arts, the ancient people had barely even seen Immortals.

But plagues had existed since the creation of heaven and earth, and monsters and specters would not pity ordinary people.

Death and loss, sorrow and pain, made people want to do something, even if they didn’t know if it would work.

Thus, to expel ghosts and drive away plagues, there was this Nuo ritual to pray for peace, hoping that the ’Nuo Gods’ of their imagination could dispel evil spirits and protect them.

With the passage of time, such Nuo rituals have almost disappeared today.

It seems only the Yang Family still adheres to this very ancient tradition.

The Yang Family’s Nuo mask is probably also an ancient artifact passed down from a very long time ago.

Speaking of which, among the legends related to Dragon Pool Mountain, the two Golden Core Realm Cultivators who fought to the death here had a close connection with the local Yang Family and Hu Family.

One of the Golden Core Cultivators, confirmed by the Hu Family’s investigation, was a certain ancestor of the Hu Family.

The other was highly likely a certain ancestor of the Yang Family.

However, the Yang Family did not acknowledge this point.

It truly was strange.

This Golden Core Cultivator had no clear origin, and everyone currently believed they were most likely an ancestor of the Yang Family. Even if it wasn’t true, there was no need to deny it so explicitly.

With such a vague concept, the name of the Yang Family would also become more prominent.

After all, in a place as small as Chu Region, a Golden Core Immortal Master was already the strongest.

But the Yang Family had always denied this matter, and only in recent generations of Cultivators did there seem to be a shift in their stance.

Above Dragon Pool Mountain at this moment, spiritual light also emerged in the sky.

The Spirit Display Cloud had already begun to capture all the scenes from various parts of the entire Dragon Pool Mountain range.

Even Cultivators from outside who could not attend in person could see the scenes through the Spirit Display Pearl.

And the scene of the Yang Family’s ceremony was the focus of everyone’s attention at this moment.

Dong, dong, dong.

The drumbeats were deep and ancient, and the chimes were clear and melodious.

Divine incense burned on the central altar, offering spiritual fruits.

Spiritual wine was spilled on the ground, offered to the Nuo Gods.

The Yang Family Clan Chief recited the sacrificial text in a sonorous voice, with rising and falling inflections, recounting the achievements of the Yang Family’s ancestors in establishing their Foundation here, and praying to the Nuo Gods to bless the family’s prosperity.

Yang Yuerong, wearing a mask, was among them, her gaze occasionally rising to look at the viewing seats, searching.

The general process of the Nuo ritual mainly involved enacting a story.

Although there was no narration, it was relatively simple and easy to understand.

Roughly, a disaster strikes, the Yang Family people pray for the Nuo Gods’ protection, and at a critical moment, a Nuo God truly descends and eliminates the disaster.

The process was not long and soon came to an end.

"Hey, sorry."

Han Yuan’s seat was by the aisle, and a Loose Cultivator walked past, accidentally bumping him for some reason.

"It’s fine." Han Yuan was rather thick-skinned and didn’t mind at all, returning his gaze to the center of the large enclosed building.

Song Yan glanced at the person. From the robes he wore, he was a Loose Cultivator.

Afterward, he left in a hurry.

It wasn’t because he was petty; he just noticed that in various viewing seats of the large enclosed building, several Cultivators in different attire almost simultaneously stood up and left at a certain moment.

Leaving at this time was not strange; some Cultivators needed to prepare for other matters of their respective Pulses.

The Yang Family ceremony was about to end, and that Golden Core Immortal Master was going to give a brief speech for the final grand competition and explain the rules.

However, Song Yan frowned slightly, and a strange sense of unease still vaguely rose in his heart.

Inside the enclosed building, the grand ceremony of worship finally concluded.

In the center of the viewing platform, the Golden Core Immortal Master from the Spirit Talisman Sect slowly stood up.

His face was gentle, yet he exuded a natural air of authority.

Song Yan temporarily suppressed the unease in his heart and looked at this Immortal Master Ye Ding.

The other party’s voice resonated throughout the entire enclosed building: "Fellow Daoists..."

However, as soon as his words fell, a sudden change occurred!

The Golden Core Immortal Master’s face suddenly changed, his brows furrowed, and his originally gentle and calm expression instantly became vigilant.

He suddenly looked up, gazing at the sky.

"Hm?!"

Almost simultaneously, the Elders of various Sects and Foundation Establishment Disciples within the large enclosed building also felt something and instinctively looked up.

They saw that above the sky, at some unknown time, a strange blood-red hue had quietly spread.

The blood-red glow, like ink dripping into clear water, rapidly spread and diffused, instantly covering the entire sky with a crimson veil.

Before everyone could react, in the next instant.

Buzz—

Sixteen dazzling spiritual lights shot up from the eight main directions on the periphery of the large enclosed building and the eight secondary directions of Dragon Pool Mountain.

They converged above the large enclosed building.

A gigantic Formation suddenly took shape.

Spiritual patterns surged, and strange fluctuations began to spread from the sky.

A malevolent aura pressed down, and all the Cultivators in the large enclosed building felt their spiritual energy stagnate.

"Not good!"

Before this, perhaps many people were still unclear about the situation, mistakenly thinking it was some special opening ceremony.

But if they still thought that now, it would be a bit foolish.

After a brief moment of deadly silence, the entire large enclosed building instantly plunged into immense chaos!

"What’s going on?!"

"Who is causing trouble..."

"With a Golden Core Immortal Master in charge, do they not want to live?"

Exclamations, angry roars, and the buzzing of unsheathed Spiritual Artifacts resounded everywhere.

Boom—

At this moment, on the viewing platform, a terrifying surge of vast spiritual energy erupted with a roar!

Everyone focused their gaze. Amidst the chaos, they saw a golden streak of light shoot up from the ground, soaring straight into the sky.

"Immortal Master Ye Ding..."

This Golden Core Immortal Master of the Spirit Talisman Sect, whom they spoke of, broke through the Formation at the top of the large enclosed building and fled into the sky.

He was... fleeing.

He actually wanted to escape!

Behind him, two streaks of blood-red light, carrying equally terrifying Spiritual Pressure, followed closely, disappearing into the clouds.

"That is..."

Inside the large enclosed building, all the Cultivators’ expressions froze, and then an extremely strong sense of panic quickly spread through the crowd.

"Demonic Cultivators."

"Two Golden Core Realm Demonic Cultivators!"

Rumble!

Above the clouds, a deafening roar that shook Dragon Pool Mountain suddenly erupted.

Two intense beams of light, like two blood-red suns faintly merging in the clouds, instantly spread terrifying energy shockwaves.

The blood-red clouds churned violently, as if they would be blown away in the next second, yet they never dispersed in the slightest.

The ground shook, and the large enclosed building also swayed violently.

However, the Cultivators on the ground could only see flashes of light above the clouds but could not discern the situation.

After only a moment, the commotion above the clouds ceased.

The Cultivators all looked up.

They saw two figures slowly descending from within the crimson clouds.

One fat, one thin, both clad in blood-red Daoist robes.

They hovered in mid-air.

Both wore sinister smiles, looking down at the Cultivators in the large enclosed building.

In the thin Daoist’s hand, he held a round head.

The severed neck of the head was clean, without a trace of blood.

It was none other than Immortal Master Ye Ding, the Golden Core Immortal Master of the Spirit Talisman Sect!

"Dead..."

The Cultivators below were all filled with shock and despair.

"A Golden Core Immortal Master, just like that... died?"

The clamor and noise vanished, and the large enclosed building fell into a deathly silence.

What followed was a silent despair.

How could this be... The Formation under the blood-red sky was still operating, suppressing the spiritual energy of the Cultivators present.

The Golden Core Immortal Master was already dead; could they still live?

All the Cultivators felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

In mid-air.

"This Feathered Poison is truly terrifying."

The thin Daoist played with the head in his hand, casually remarking, "That person just now seemed unable to even self-destruct his Golden Core..."

"That is natural."

The Fat Daoist replied, "This thing is difficult even for a Nascent Soul old monster to handle, let alone a mere Golden Core."

"Is it a bit too wasteful to use it on such an unknown person this time?"

"You’re not the one paying for the Spirit Stones."

The thin Daoist lightly licked the corner of his mouth, his face full of intoxication.

"Hoo..."

He casually tossed the head of the Golden Core Realm Cultivator in his hand, and it fell from the sky, rolling away to some unknown mountain area.

The two Golden Core Realm Demonic Cultivators suddenly looked up at the sky simultaneously.

The situation in Dragon Pool Mountain had always been captured by the Spirit Display Cloud.

It was just that now, it was being manipulated by the Demonic Cultivators.

The Fat Daoist hovered in mid-air, Devilish Qi swirling around him, merging with the controlled Spirit Display Cloud to form a strange domain.

"Fellow Daoists, please calm down."

He cleared his throat, a benevolent smile on his face.

Before the eyes of all Cultivators in Chu Region, he slowly spoke: "We regret to inform you all that the Dragon Pool Gathering will likely not be able to continue."

"This place, along with other immortal mountains and beautiful waters of Chu Region, will be taken over by the Demonic Ruins!"

"You all can rest assured and await orders. The Demonic Ruins will reshape a new order for Chu Region. Perhaps the process will be a bit rushed, but it is still a benevolent act."

The thin Daoist raised his hand slightly, his fingertip pointing into the air. The blood-red light surged accordingly, and the power of the entire grand Formation intensified by several points.

His smile remained unchanged, and his voice was still polite.

"This is a fortunate event. From now on, the mountains and rivers of Chu Region will be under the protection of our Demonic Ruins."

"Please, Fellow Daoists, await good news. Once you belong to the Demonic Ruins, we will naturally sweep away the old dust and relieve you from the suffering of the Nine Pulses’ disputes!"

Is it truly so?!

Demonic Path Cultivators have indeed made a comeback... As soon as these words were spoken, the Cultivators in the entire large enclosed building immediately fell into a state of terror and chaos.

Hu Haotian, the Hu Family Clan Chief, feigned panic but had been paying attention to the movements in the field, especially the situation of the Yang Family.

His gaze swept across the center of the enclosed building’s altar, finally settling on the Yang Family Elder, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

"The Yang Family’s destiny should end today!"

Yang Yuerong stood in the crowd, her body chilling.

Yet, for some reason, facing death, she seemed to feel little fear.

Perhaps it was because being hidden in the crowd and shadows gave her a strange sense of security.

She looked up at the surroundings of the large enclosed building and finally saw the Cultivators of the Cave Abyss Sect.

"Watch out for each other, and absolutely do not act rashly."

The several Elders of the Cave Abyss Sect at Dragon Pool Mountain were all near the viewing platform. Among these attending Disciples, Xu Ziqing, who was both an attending Disciple and an Elder, naturally served as the backbone.

However, Xu Ziqing also didn’t know what to do at this moment.

If a Golden Core wanted to act, it wouldn’t take much effort to turn this entire large enclosed building, including the Cultivators within it, into ashes.

Moreover, the opponents were two Golden Core Demonic Cultivators.

The other four leading Disciples, along with Li Yi and Song Yan, two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, protected the Qi Refinement Stage Disciples behind them.

In the crowd, Lin Qing’s expression was a mix of shock and confusion.

As early as when the Demonic Cultivators appeared, he felt a chill down his spine.

It had changed, it truly had changed.

The time of the Demonic Ruins’ invasion had advanced... In his previous life, although he hadn’t participated in the Dragon Pool Mountain Gathering, he had heard about the situation there. Demonic Cultivators hadn’t shown their faces at all, and the Dragon Pool Mountain grand event should have ended perfectly.

Thinking of Song Yan’s casual chat with him a few days ago, Lin Qing couldn’t help but feel horrified.

The timing of the Demonic Ruins’ invasion had indeed changed!

Shao Sichao hid at the back of the crowd, his face showing no panic or tension. He merely looked up at the two Golden Core Demonic Cultivators in the sky, occasionally glancing at Song Yan.

Under his wide sleeve, in his palm, he held a Talisman, ready to be unleashed.

Unlike Lin Qing’s shock, Song Yan frowned slightly, feeling somewhat puzzled instead.

"Something’s not right..."

What these two Golden Cores said was that this place would be taken over by Mo Xu Cultivators, but in reality, the number of Mo Xu Cultivators currently perceivable was not very large.

At least compared to the Righteous Path Cultivators gathered and surrounded here, it seemed a bit insufficient.

Of course, it didn’t rule out the possibility that these two Golden Core Realm Cultivators intended to attack them.

However, it was also very strange why these two Golden Core Realm Demonic Cultivators would so openly declare the invasion of the Demonic Ruins.

The Spirit Display Cloud spread widely, and Qiyuan Prefecture, where Dragon Pool Mountain was located, was in the central part of Chu Region, not far from various Sects.

It wouldn’t take long for the Golden Cores of several Sects to receive the news and rush over.

If there weren’t other Golden Cores here, then these Demonic Cultivators felt like they were probing something.

In fact, the Golden Core Immortal Masters of the Profound Origin Sect and Hanging Sword Mountain had already arrived in the short time Song Yan was thinking.

A surging bolt of lightning descended from the sky, and the two Golden Core Realm Demonic Cultivators shifted sideways, narrowly avoiding it.

At the same time, a breach appeared in the blood-red sky, and two streaks of light piercing through the clouds arrived.

The Profound Origin Sect Golden Core Immortal Master, Chen Ya, wore a golden Daoist robe, stood afloat on the phantom of a black tortoise.

The Golden Core from Hanging Sword Mountain, Li Luo, wore a dark blue Daoist robe, with countless spiritual lights forming a great sword-feather cloak. Wherever he passed, the blood-red clouds showed traces like shattering ice crystals.

The Profound Origin Sect Cultivators and Hanging Sword Mountain Cultivators were all overjoyed.

"It’s Grandmaster Chen Ya!"

"And our Hanging Sword Mountain’s Grandmaster Li Luo!"

The Profound Origin Sect Golden Core Immortal Master Chen Ya roared, "Demonic Cultivator rabble! You don’t know your place!"

A massive sound wave swept through the entire valley. The Cultivators in the large enclosed building, previously suppressed by the Demonic Formation, suddenly felt their bodies lighten, and even the circulation of their spiritual energy recovered somewhat.

Above the dome, the thin Daoist conjured a withered black short staff. Spiritual energy surged, and immediately countless black ghost skulls continuously emerged from it.

The Fat Daoist, on the other hand, flipped his palm, and vast Devilish Qi gathered across the sky, condensing into the phantom of a long river.

Amidst the bloody storm (bloody winds and waves), countless black specters emerged.

Lightning, Sword Qi, ghost skulls, Yellow Springs.

At this moment... there were actually a full four Golden Core Realm Cultivators battling chaotically above Dragon Pool Mountain!