Human Clan Defender

He plundered all of the Heaven and Earth Purple Qi. After Shen Changqing finished, he felt refreshed and clear-headed. Within his Dantian, the purple hue on the Great Sun Golden Core had also become more pronounced.

Absorbing the Heaven and Earth Purple Qi here once is comparable to the amount I absorbed in a whole year previously! A look of joy appeared on his face. The Heaven and Earth Purple Qi of Exiled Immortal Valley was indeed far too rich. In the past, when I cultivated, the Heaven and Earth Purple Qi that I could absorb each day was only a faint thread. The amount I just absorbed is several hundred times that of the past. To say it's comparable to the past year is actually not an exaggeration.

When his cultivation ended, Xun Qu's voice came from beside him. "Elder Shen's Martial Arts seem somewhat like methods from the Buddha Sect. Could it be that you have cultivated the Great Sun Scripture of the Buddha Sect?"

"Defender Xun has an insightful eye," Shen Changqing openly admitted. His cultivation of the Great Sun Scripture was not some shameful secret. After all, the Demon-Subduing Division had many Martial Arts for anyone to choose from, so cultivating any of them was no problem.

As expected, Xun Qu secretly acknowledged, then smiled again. "Elder Shen primarily cultivates the Buddha Sect's Great Sun Scripture for Inner Strength and the Tathagata Golden Body for Outer Techniques. These are two top-notch Martial Arts of the Buddha Sect; even masters from the Buddha Sect rarely achieve Perfection in both. Now, both Martial Arts are shining gloriously in the hands of Elder Shen, which is also an honor for the Buddha Sect."

Although Shen Changqing did not say which Outer Technique he primarily cultivated, given Xun Qu's breadth of knowledge, he could recognize that the other party was cultivating the Tathagata Golden Body. After all, besides the Tathagata Golden Body, no other Martial Art was known to be so similar.

"It is said that if one can reach the peak realm of the Tathagata Golden Body of the Myriad Buddhas Sect, one would be able to step into the Grandmaster Peak Realm. I believe Elder Shen must have also achieved Perfection, right?" Xun Qu mused aloud.

In response, Shen Changqing gave a smile but did not answer directly. However, in Xun Qu's eyes, that smile was as good as an admission.

Xun Qu felt a silent admiration before his attention returned to the stone statue. After being suffused with the purple Qi, the misty glow in the palm of the stone statue became increasingly brilliant. Colorful streamers of light gradually reached the point of reflecting against the Firmament.

Regarding this scene, Xun Qu said, "The Heavenly Realm is about to open. As early as tonight, or at the latest by tomorrow, the entrance to the Heavenly Realm will certainly open. Elder Shen, prepare yourself!" As he finished speaking, he too concentrated and held his breath, not daring to relax his mind in the least. It's about to open!

Shen Changqing nodded. He wasn't in much of a hurry. Having come all this way, it didn't matter much whether the Heavenly Realm opened sooner or later.

「Time moved forward.」

As the sun set in the west, when Heaven and Earth should have been plunged into darkness, the direction of Exiled Immortal Valley instead shone as bright as day. The colorful radiance beaming from the palm of the stone statue enveloped the entire statue. Under the embellishment of the colorful light, it was as if the stone statue had come to life. The light projected into the Firmament, clearly visible for a hundred miles.

Every commoner who saw the colorful light and the stone statue was shocked; some even prostrated themselves in worship immediately.

"A celestial being has revealed their presence!"

"Exiled Immortal Valley! There really are celestial beings there!"

"Quick, come and worship the celestial being—"

Many commoners knelt in the direction of Exiled Immortal Valley. The legend of celestial beings had always circulated. But as time passed, the rumors of celestial beings gradually quieted down. Only people who had lived near Exiled Immortal Valley for generations still spoke of them. Now, the strange phenomena in Exiled Immortal Valley undoubtedly made them believe that celestial beings truly existed in this world.

Such a mysterious method! Looking at the scene in front of him, engulfed in colorful radiance, Shen Changqing couldn't help but take a deep breath. This change... whether it was man-made or a natural occurrence of Heaven and Earth, I cannot make an exact judgment. But one thing I am clear about is that with my current methods, I could not achieve this. Exiled Immortal Valley! Celestial beings! Shen Changqing thought to himself. Regarding the legends of Exiled Immortal Valley, I don't know whether they are true or false. Whether celestial beings truly exist in the world is also an unknown. But whether or not there are really celestial beings, I have the panel. As long as I keep advancing, even if there are no True Immortals in the world, then I will become a True Immortal! Even if there really are celestial beings, they would simply be beings more powerful than ordinary people. As long as I am strong enough, in the eyes of the world, I will be a celestial being.

The reflection of the colorful radiance from Exiled Immortal Valley captured the attention of most people within a hundred miles. Suddenly, many people started to make their way toward Exiled Immortal Valley.

As time passed, Shen Changqing remained calm and seated cross-legged, further adjusting his state to perfection. At the foot of Exiled Immortal Valley, the gathering of Jianghu individuals had become considerably larger than before. Besides the Jianghu personages, he also spotted some members of the Demon-Subduing Division there. Those from the Demon-Subduing Division weren't wearing their official attire. However, from the faint murderous aura they exuded and their movements, Shen Changqing managed to vaguely identify some of them.

He could understand why they would conceal their identities. Aside from Jianghu individuals, South Nether Prefecture's Defender Envoys would also be entering the Heavenly Realm. If one were to encounter a Defender Envoy, the dilemma would be whether to secretly make off with any heavenly materials and earthly treasures obtained or to hand them over. Thus, rather than face an awkward situation later, it was better for everyone to feign ignorance of each other's identities and pursue their own opportunities.

As dawn approached, Heaven and Earth Purple Qi began to converge once more. Shen Changqing didn't waste the opportunity, repeating his previous technique to absorb the Heaven and Earth Purple Qi for his own use. Just like the previous day, while he circulated the Great Sun Scripture, others had no chance to absorb the Purple Qi. The twenty-sixth layer of the Great Sun Scripture completely transcended the current stage of Inner Strength. Even if someone actually managed to bring the Myriad Buddhas Sect's Great Sun Scripture to its peak, that would at most be the twenty-fifth layer, with no possibility of breaking through that limit.

After absorbing all the Purple Qi, within his Dantian, the illusory Great Sun Golden Core took on a noticeable purple hue. Compared to the original Great Sun Golden Core, the purple-tinged one seemed even more noble. As for whether its power had increased, Shen Changqing hadn't tried, so he couldn't confirm much yet. This time, even if I don't enter the Heavenly Realm, the trip was still worthwhile.

「Elsewhere.」

The misty glow in the palm of the stone statue became increasingly blinding. A seven-colored radiance shone like a rainbow, enveloping the entire Exiled Immortal Valley. A gentle force emanated, as comforting as spring rain moistening everything, causing one's pores to unconsciously open.

Comfort! An unprecedented sense of comfort washed over him. Shen Changqing's eyes glowed even hotter as he gazed at the seven-colored radiance. What a treasure! Although I haven't yet entered the Heavenly Realm, just the Purple Qi and this seven-colored radiance alone make me look forward to it with great anticipation. The phenomenon is already so extraordinary; what kind of scene will it be once I truly enter the Heavenly Realm?

Suddenly, the stone statue trembled. The space above its palm warped violently, twisting the seven-colored radiance within into a giant vortex. With the emergence of the vortex, Defender Xun spoke in a deep voice, "The Heavenly Realm has opened! Elder Shen, follow me!"

As his voice fell, his body, which had remained still for a long time, shot out directly toward the seven-colored vortex. Hearing this, Shen Changqing didn't hesitate. He followed closely behind Defender Xun and entered the seven-colored vortex.

As the two of them moved, the crowd that had been waiting below for a long time also madly rushed toward the seven-colored vortex.

"The Heavenly Realm has opened!"

"Move quickly!"

"No one dare compete with me—"

They had all been waiting for the Heavenly Realm to open. Now that they had waited for so long and finally seen it open, they naturally wouldn't miss this chance.

The stone statue was towering. Its palm was tens of zhang from the ground. Such a height was an insurmountable chasm for ordinary people, but for those Jianghu individuals with Martial Arts, it posed little difficulty. Climbing and scaling walls were trivial skills for them. One by one, people leaped up, rushing toward the palm of the stone statue. The seven-colored vortex seemed to connect to some unknown space, and everyone who entered vanished without a trace.

At some distance from Exiled Immortal Valley, an elderly monk pressed his palms together and chanted, "Amitabha Buddha. The opening of the Heavenly Realm is an opportunity for the Myriad Buddhas Sect. If missed, entering the Heavenly Realm again will not be easy!"

Behind him were the experts of the Myriad Buddhas Sect. Upon receiving news of the Heavenly Realm, the Myriad Buddhas Sect had promptly dispatched them. For Jianghu forces, any treasure within the Heavenly Realm was extraordinarily precious.

Hearing this, a young monk with clear, handsome features asked in a low voice, "Elder, it is rumored that the Heavenly Realm contains a supreme treasure capable of extending one's lifespan. Is this true or false?"

The old monk shook his head slightly. "Since such news has spread, it naturally cannot be false." Then, he chanted another Buddhist invocation. "Amitabha Buddha. Long ago, experts from our Myriad Buddhas Sect entered the Heavenly Realm. Moreover, after returning, one of them left behind a complete map of that Heavenly Realm. Our purpose in entering this time is to determine if the Heavenly Realm opening now is the same one from back then. If it is, we will simply follow the map."

Hearing this, the other monks also chanted, "Amitabha Buddha!"

Then, led by the old monk, the group from the Myriad Buddhas Sect made their way toward Exiled Immortal Valley. The Heavenly Realm would remain open for a full day. They proceeded at a deliberate pace, unhurried, not worried about being late.

By the time the people from the Myriad Buddhas Sect arrived, others were also just reaching Exiled Immortal Valley.

Although Exiled Immortal Valley had already been manifest for fourteen days, South Nether Prefecture was vast. Fourteen days was barely enough time for news to travel back and forth, let alone the subsequent journey. For some sects and powers situated far from Exiled Immortal Valley, arriving in time for this third opening was about all they could manage.