Yellow Court Daoist

[Immortal Artifact: South Heavenly Gate]

[Grade: Second Rank]

[Description: The old monster Lu Yu from the Great Wilderness Mountain South Star Plain replicated the "South Heavenly Gate" to refine a component of the "Little Shushan Realm" which serves as the entrance and exit. Divine Generals guard the gate, restricting access. Unauthorized entrants face capture by the Heaven Suppressing Marshals and Golden Armor Divine Beings; none shall be permitted to escape. Note: This artifact's power is linked exclusively to the "Little Shushan Realm" and is useless outside of it.]

"The Heavenly Observation Mirror is a part of the Heavenly Gate, which in turn is a part of the 'Little Shushan Realm.'"

"Unexpected."

"The 'Little Shushan Realm' is actually an immortal artifact!"

Lu Qingfeng was initially stunned, then a smile spread across his face.

If the Little Shushan Realm were naturally occurring, a product of creation, Lu Qingfeng might only use it within the framework of "Primordial." Its usefulness might not seem significant.

But as an immortal artifact, Lu Qingfeng needed only to decipher its Refining Method, whether for use after an unfortunate death and reincarnation or within reality, to be able to refine it.

"Cultivation within the 'Little Shushan Realm' is far superior to that within the Three Mountains and Nine Waters."

Lu Qingfeng was overjoyed.

Glancing back at the South Heavenly Gate, the smile in his eyes grew even wider.

He reached out with his hand.

From within the gate, two fist-sized, translucent crystals flew out, emitting glowing halos from all six sides. Had an ordinary cultivator been present, one look would have engulfed them, washed over by endless energy, leaving them disoriented.

This was no other than Immortal Crystal.

"It seems 'Little Shushan Realm' consumes quite a bit, not just through stripping cultivators of their cultivation for demotion but also requiring the addition of Immortal Crystals as replenishment."

The existence of these Immortal Crystals was not apparent by just looking at the gate.

But once the Heavenly Observation Mirror was attached, they became visible. The Taoshan Four Sects had partitioned the two treasures, likely considering this factor. Furthermore, with the Four Sects jointly overseeing the gate, no one dared to steal for themselves.

Lu Qingfeng roughly counted and found no fewer than two thousand crystals.

He stared intently for a while, evaluating.

"Probably consumes around thirty to forty Immortal Crystals each year."

Lu Qingfeng couldn't help but click his tongue.

Immortal Crystals are precious.

A Mahayana True Immortal in normal cultivation could produce one crystal per millennium.

In other words, without using other means to earn Immortal Crystals, it would take the constant cultivation and crystalline production of thirty to forty thousand Mahayana True Immortals to sustain the operation of the 'Little Shushan Realm.'

Truly a horrifying concept.

After all, the entire Nanhua Realm might not even have two thousand True Immortals, and it's considered a major realm. In places like the Red Smoke Realm or even the Black Star Realm, the number of True Immortals could be counted on one's fingers.

Thirty to forty thousand Mahayana?

Unthinkable.

Of course.

The Taoshan Four Sects definitely had ways to earn Spirit Stones and Immortal Crystals. And each Sect's Earth Immortals had their own Blessed Lands which consumed Chaos Qi from beyond the heavens, transforming it into essences. The Immortal Crystals produced annually couldn't be compared to what a Mahayana True Immortal could.

The cost of sustaining a 'Little Shushan Realm' was painful, but if it could churn out an Earth Immortal, or continuously 'produce' Earth Immortals, what's a few Immortal Crystals in the grand scheme of things?!

As Lu Qingfeng knew, the Four Sects had obtained the Little Shushan Realm for over a hundred thousand years. If the consumption of thirty to forty crystals a year is calculated even for just a hundred thousand years, that's a staggering sum of three to four million crystals.

"No, that's not right."

"Every three to five thousand years within the 'Little Shushan Realm' there is a battle between Righteous and Evil, where True Immortals often fall by the half or even nine out of ten survive, with countless Qi Cultivation and Primordial Spirit Practitioners perishing."

"Their cultivation dissipates into the world, greatly reducing the consumption of Immortal Crystals."

Lu Qingfeng suddenly realized.

Meaning that, right now, on the eve of the Righteous and Evil battle, whether regular cultivators or True Immortals, all are present in the largest numbers within the 'Little Shushan Realm.'

The strain on the realm is at its peak.

"After a great calamity."

"Maybe it only consumes three or four crystals annually. Even with the cultivation absorbed from the fallen during these catastrophes, three to four Immortal Crystals might not even be necessary."

Lu Qingfeng managed to suppress his astonishment.

Three to four million crystals was indeed an astonishing figure.

Even if spread out over a hundred thousand years, and even distributed among the Sects' Earth Immortals, it's still a significant amount.

However, if there's a cyclical increase and decrease with a peak consumption of only thirty to forty crystals, then over a hundred thousand years, at most nearly a million crystals are needed. Divided among the Four Sects, that's just two or three hundred thousand each.

It's still a huge sum.

But at least not as scary.

"No wonder!"

"No wonder!"

Lu Qingfeng had long known that the Taoshan Four Sects deliberately spared their opponents in each battle to repeatedly utilize this 'great calamity' to temper their own True Immortals, in hopes of cultivating an Earth Immortal.

But now it seemed,

Beyond this consideration, the burden of the 'Little Shushan Realm' was so heavy that periodic 'burden relief' was necessary.

"After all, it's only an immortal artifact; it doesn't compare to a Blessed Land Grotto Heaven with an Earth Immortal, nor can it match the essence worlds such as the Nanhua Realm or Red Smoke Realm."

Lu Qingfeng shook his head.

The 'Little Shushan Realm' is good, but with its current finances, it's difficult to maintain, especially at its current scale.

If it were an essence world, even one as low of a level as the Three Mountains and Nine Waters, it could continuously draw in Chaotic Qi from beyond the heavens and slowly strengthen.

Over lengthy ages,

Perhaps it could ascend.

As for the cultivators within, as long as they don't reach the Primordial Spirit Level and Ascend, whatever resources and Spiritual Energy they draw from the world, upon death, will eventually return to heaven and earth.

This is a cycle.

Only in a realm where too many cultivators Ascend, taking away too many resources and Spiritual Energy, does it result in heaven and earth running a deficit, decreasing Spiritual Energy and resources, leading to fewer cultivators being able to Ascend.

This is what is called the 'Age of Dharma Decline.'

It is heaven and earth's self-regulation.

After a long time without Ascension, and even with few cultivators, accumulation continues and that world will gradually recover.

Like the Black Star Realm.

Even though it was shattered to pieces in the past, after countless years, it has managed to heal.

Now, cultivators can once again become True Immortals.

The same principle applies.

Whether it's an Earth Immortal's Blessed Land or a Heavenly Immortal's Grotto Heaven, whether it's a small realm like the Three Mountains and Nine Waters or a great realm like the Nanhua Realm and Immortal Qin Realm, or even the entire Primordial Great Heaven and Earth, all will fall into such a cycle.

It's only a matter of time.

However, with Heavenly and Earth Immortals at the helm of Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands, there can be macro-regulation to artificially avoid this inevitability.

But for other major and minor origin worlds without a ruler, the cycle of rise and fall is inevitable.

As for the 'Little Shu Mountain Realm'.

It is clearly incapable of self-growth and self-promotion, and even without anyone ascending, maintaining a 'balanced budget' cycle is somewhat difficult.

The level is feared to be limited.

...

But let's not talk about the 'Little Shu Mountain Realm'.

Lu Qingfeng, grasping the South Heavenly Gate, feels again and senses that this 'South Heavenly Gate' has opened over a dozen exits, which are the 'Ascension Pools' he saw in the Beihan Snow Fields.

As for the entrance—

"All over the Little Shu Mountain Realm are entrances, all too eager to have more practitioners enter, their cultivation feeding the realm."

Lu Qingfeng shakes his head.

No need for more entrances.

It's the exits that need to be controlled.

"Firstly, the Little Shu Mountain Realm is a precious place for comprehending True Skills and mastering Divine Skills. Even disregarding the karmic trials within, just using it to enhance battle power far surpasses many cultivation holy sites."

"Secondly, with the Four Sects controlling the exits, even if someone luckily seizes the South Heavenly Gate, without the 'Heavenly Observation Mirror,' they'll have difficulty altering the exits. Once they leave, they'll fall into the hands of the Four Sects. This is to guard against the chance that a practitioner inside the Little Shu Mountain Realm lucks out, acquires the Heavenly Gate, and attempts to smuggle through."

But the Four Sects probably didn't expect that, by separating the Heavenly Gate and the Heavenly Observation Mirror and placing them in the hands of two top powerhouses of the sects within the Little Shu Mountain Realm, someone would easily get both, and even prevent these people from sending a message back to the Beihan Snow Fields.

All precautions, all in vain.

Lu Qingfeng, now with both the Heavenly Gate and the Heavenly Observation Mirror in hand, can come and go from the Little Shu Mountain Realm at any time or cancel the exits in the Beihan Snow Fields.

But he has other plans in mind.

Not in a hurry to combine the Heavenly Gate with the Heavenly Observation Mirror, he instead separates the recently integrated 'South Heavenly Gate' back into eight treasures, returning each to their 'original owners'.

Though it seems like 'passing from left hand to right hand,' a bit superfluous.

Lu Qingfeng, cautious in his actions, must also grasp the details, reducing the chance of being exposed.

"The entirety of Taoshan, aside from those Loose Immortals, have all been captured by me."

"The time has come."

Lu Qingfeng rises.

With a shake and a sway, his appearance and dress change, instantly transforming into a middle-aged Daoist with a jade-like complexion, wearing a Jade Crown.

Exuding majesty.

It was the Taoshan Sect Leader Yuzhenzi.

As his appearance changed, everyone in the hall seemed to suddenly come alive.

Each speaking their own words, their appearances, demeanor, voices, tones, expressions, and characters all completely different.

The previously silent and empty Ling Kong Temple instantly becomes noisy.

...

Time flies.

It has been three months since the three True Immortals of Taoshan were captured without a trace, and Taoshan issued the 'Gathering Immortal Order'.

Today.

The high-ranking members of the Four Sects and more than a dozen powerful individuals from the Righteous Sect Loose Immortals gather together. In the room, not one person's cultivation is lower than the 'Ten Tribulations' level.

Among them, like the Taoshan Three Elders, the Heavenly Mountain Seven Swords, the North Sea Five Ancestors, the Snow Ridge Four Divine Monks, and the Four Great Daoist Immortals, they are all figures of the Sixth Tribulation and above.

A casual stomp.

Could shake the entire world three times.

"Taixu Old Monster's strength has made another breakthrough."

"How should we deal with the Guangyuan Demon Path?"

"Mere chickens and mutts, easily killed with a backhand!"

Now gathered, the place is as noisy as a marketplace, with ongoing discussions and disputes. Some people naturally have loud voices that are thunderingly annoying.

Attempting to negotiate terms.

But after more than a month, they haven't come to any agreement. Especially the True Immortals from Heaven Mountain, Snow Ridge, and North Sea, whenever it comes to serious matters, a few always divert the topic.

Following their lead, the others also digress.

And are unable to reach any resolution.

"Report!"

"The 'Seven Cultivation Swords' of Lion Ridge, leading a horde of demons, are pressing towards Golden Pavilion Peak and have now arrived."

A disciple rushes to report.

"They're here!"

Instant silence in the hall.

This Golden Pavilion Peak is located to the north of Taoshan, with only the Dragon Spring Mountain between them and Taoshan. One more step forward, and one could step into the Taoshan Mountain Gate.

In the past, when swords clashed.

They would only go as far as Dragon Spring Mountain, never daring to actually let these side door left Daoists infiltrate the Taoshan Mountain Gate.

"The enemy is already upon us."

"No need for further discussion. When we reach Dragon Spring Mountain, we will stop the invader if it's an army and cover the waters if it's a flood."

The main seat at the head, the Taoshan Sect Leader 'Yu Zhenzi', looks 'helpless.'

But he doesn't show fear.

He stands, his powerful aura flaring, making all the Righteous Sect Loose Immortals present turn their gaze: "At least Eight Tribulation Cultivation!"

An Eight Tribulations True Immortal, although not as legendary as the 'Guangyuan Daoist,' is certainly not weak. Not to mention that this figure is also the Taoshan Sect Leader, and in terms of foundation and assets, is definitely superior to the vast majority of True Immortals in the Little Shu Mountain Realm.

The hearts of the Loose Immortals are settled by a large margin.

Without many words.

Where Yu Zhenzi's sword points—

The immortals move.

Straight to Dragon Spring Mountain!

...