Volume 1, Chapter 401 – Closing the Mountain

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days had passed within the Yunlai Immortal Realm, and Shi Lan’s allotted time here was nearly at an end.

Her cultivation was only at the initial stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, but her Nascent Soul golden body had already grown to over nine zhang, stronger than that of an ordinary martial artist at the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.

And even this was still far from her limit.

According to the method for condensing the golden body recorded in the Yuqing Creation Art, the limit of the Nascent Soul Realm should allow the Nascent Soul golden body to reach nine hundred and ninety-nine zhang, though the amount of energy required would be as vast as an ocean.

Such a foundation far surpassed that of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator by a hundredfold.

Stimulated by the Nascent Soul golden body, the immortal-path Nascent Soul’s rate of advancement had also quickened by several degrees.

Although its form had not changed, its magic power had improved enormously, advancing into the middle stage of the Deity Transformation Realm and becoming even more powerful.

This feeling of skyrocketing strength left Shi Lan somewhat intoxicated, but at the same time, she could not help feeling a little regretful.

A secret realm like this was rare even in the entire Lingyang Realm. It almost recreated the sacred cultivation lands of Lingyang’s Primordial Age.

If she could possess a secret realm like this, it would not take long before she could cultivate the Nascent Soul Realm to completion, point her blade toward the Heaven-Man Realm, and use it to build up a vast force of her own.

While cultivating, Shi Lan split off a strand of divine sense and pulled up the system panel she had not looked at in a very long time.

She had not paid much attention to changes in her panel for ages. She understood every bit of growth in her own strength perfectly well, so there had been no need to look.

[Host: Shi Lan]

[Cultivation: Martial Dao: initial stage of the Nascent Soul Realm; Immortal Dao: middle stage of the Deity Transformation Realm]

[Physique: Innate Spiritual Body, Divine Phoenix Body, True Martial Undying Body (first layer complete)]

[Techniques: Yuqing Creation Art (fifth layer), Vajra Divine Fist (major accomplishment), Jade Tempering Art (complete), Heaven Extremity Seal (minor accomplishment), Spirit-Burning Art (incomplete), Tiancang Xuanling Scripture (fifth layer)]

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[Divine Abilities: Heaven’s Eye Qi-Sight (3-star), Black Domain (8-star), Howl at the Moon (5-star), Divine Phoenix Wings (7-star), Candle Dragon Demon Eyes (6-star)]

[Strength Evaluation: Proficient]

[Reputation: 25,561,781 (Renown Across the Land)]

[World Coordinates: 900 minor worlds, 120 mid-level worlds, 37 great worlds.]

[Currently Owned Worlds: 1 minor world]

[Current Spacetime Coordinates: Lingyang Starfield, Lingyang Realm, Taishi Calendar Year 48928]

[Current Remaining Energy: 2.94 units of nine-star energy body.]

[Current Main Quest: Establish a force. Preliminary completion reward: Immortal Mountain Cave Estate x1. No penalty for failure.]

As her cultivation stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm, her divine abilities had also been greatly enhanced. Both Black Domain and Divine Phoenix Wings had risen by one star, and her combat strength was changing with each passing day.

…

Bzzz—

Layer upon layer of ripples spread through space, and a black-iron gate appeared in midair.

Shi Lan slowly ended her cultivation, her gaze clear as water.

Within her brow, a Nascent Soul golden body over ten zhang tall sat cross-legged above her sea of consciousness like a deity.

The immortal-path Nascent Soul occupied another portion of the sea of consciousness, seated atop the Dao foundation. The two powers were clearly divided, each keeping to its own side without interfering with the other.

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Shi Lan stretched her limbs and rose to her feet, then followed the newly appeared gate and left the Yunlai Immortal Realm.

For the entire month, she had not moved a single step from where she sat. She had not explored the Yunlai Immortal Realm at all.

This was a forbidden ground of the Yunlai Immortal Sect. If she carelessly touched something she should not, it would likely bring no small amount of trouble.

What she had gained from this trip was already more than enough for her.

…

After Shi Lan left, outside the black-iron gate, the white-haired woman seated cross-legged in the void slowly opened her eyes. Dim starlight flowed through them. With a flick of her sleeve, she summoned a disciple.

“Tell Su Tun to come see me.”

“Yes.”

…

Half a quarter-hour later, Su Tun, the current Palace Master of Yunlai Immortal Palace, arrived before the woman and bowed in salute.

“Greetings, Venerable Song.”

“Recall all disciples of the sect who are traveling abroad. Close the mountain gates for thirty years.”

Su Tun’s expression changed slightly.

“Why?”

“At times like this, restraint is best. A great tree catches the wind and easily invites disaster.”

“But the disciples of our Yunlai Immortal Palace have an excellent reputation outside and have done nothing improper.”

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Su Tun did not quite understand. Closing the mountain gates was no trivial matter. Thirty years would have a tremendous impact.

Most obviously, there would be a gap in the younger generation of disciples. Secondly, without being able to leave the sect to gain experience, there would be many things the disciples could not do, and some of the territories they managed in the outside world could no longer be overseen. The losses would be severe.

“As time changes, every age has those who, by themselves alone, stir up the winds and clouds of the world. Today is no exception.”

Venerable Song stepped onto the ground, clasped her hands behind her back, and shook her head slightly.

“The reason Yunlai Immortal Palace has survived to this day is that we know when to advance and when to retreat. Thirty years will be enough to see the overall situation in Shenzhou clearly. It will not be too late to decide then.”

“But the Spirit King…”

“I will explain matters to Li Jingzhou myself.”

“This disciple understands.”

…

Shi Lan made her way back to the palace where she was staying. A good many streams of light were hovering before the hall, all of them talisman missives. Most were calling cards from various factions, along with scattered congratulations.

Essentially all of them were congratulating her on ascending to first place on the human race’s Heavenly Prodigy Record. Apart from these, there were also a few challenge letters.

They were from nameless people who merely wanted to use her fame to raise their own.

Shi Lan swept her gaze over them once and had no interest in dealing with them. She tossed them all aside, activated the defensive formation, and stepped into the palace.

Tianbai was sitting cross-legged in the center of the great hall, quietly cultivating. Sensing movement, she opened her eyes.

“My lord.”

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“Come with me to the Demon Domain.”

Tianbai nodded. To her, it made no difference where they went. She had no concept of home or homeland. Wherever her lord was, that was the place she liked best.

Shi Lan still kept in mind what Chu Hanzhou had said earlier. She needed to refine an external incarnation for herself.

After thinking it over for a long time, she had ultimately decided that this incarnation should be an demon body.

First, it would be much more suitable for moving about in the Boundless Demon Domain, and it would also make it easier to look after the Lan clan. Second, a demon body might bring her some unexpected surprises, such as innate divine abilities.

By now, Chu Hanzhou had long since left Silverfrost City. The situation across the Vast Land of Shenzhou was currently treacherous and ever-changing, and he had many matters to attend to as well.

Shi Lan concealed her movements. After retrieving her carriage from the disciples of Yunlai Immortal Palace, she left Silverfrost City.

After traveling ten thousand li away from the city, eight heavenly horses crossed the sky, and the carriage streaked across the heavens, racing westward.

Within the Lan clan, Shi Lan had once left behind a spatial formation. Lunhui knew the location of that spatial node.

Now that she had stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm, her understanding of the laws of space had become even more profound. Under Lunhui’s guidance, setting up a teleportation formation was no difficult matter and would spare her no end of travel.

…

Not long after Shi Lan left Silverfrost City, one talisman seal after another shot into the sky and sped toward every part of Shenzhou.

Within those talisman seals, there was only a single order.

“Within three months, settle your affairs and return to Silverfrost City!”

At the same time, news that Yunlai Immortal Palace was about to close its mountain gates spread through the Vast Land of Shenzhou without wings, stirring up a tremendous uproar.