Chapter 405: Gifted with Ten-Thousand-Year Water Essence
Immortal Consort Jingyu spoke as she gave orders.
The crowd’s vision quickly magnified, drawing closer to the Peerless Demonic Nest. They saw numerous Dharma Bodies battling demon beasts around the nest’s outer perimeter.
The demon beasts were grotesque and strange, surging out from the nest without end, attempting to break through the seal and return to the human world to wreak havoc—only to be blocked by countless Dharma Bodies of ancient sages stationed at the outer edge.
“It’s Senior Brother!” Lin Shanshan cried out.
Everyone else also spotted Linghu Jiu.
At this moment, Linghu Jiu could only fight on the very edge of the perimeter, fully engaged in dealing with the lesser demon beasts deliberately left behind by the frontline.
Though he was only at Foundation Establishment stage, he possessed Golden Core-level combat power.
Even so, in the face of the Peerless Demonic Nest, he was but a small fry, only capable of dealing with the lowest-grade demon beast scum.
Wood, water, and wind-based techniques flowed from his hands one after another, yet the battle remained perilously tense.
Only when he used the Lonely Sword Sutra could he begin to turn the tide.
As the onlookers observed the fight, Ning Zhuo also noticed the weariness on Linghu Jiu.
“Senior Brother Linghu’s Lonely Sword Sutra cannot be used frequently or for extended durations.”
Previously, when he had sparred with Linghu Jiu through projected images, the latter had only used the Lonely Sword Sutra at the final moment, unleashing it alongside other techniques as his last burst.
“In that case, the Lonely Sword Sutra shares the same underlying logic as the Bitter Cold Sutra—both require drawing upon some genuine emotion from the Divine Sea to unleash unique power.”
This was exactly the case with Han Zhou, who cultivated the Bitter Cold Sutra. He had to endure suffering, seek out hardship, subject himself to hunger and cold, with ragged clothes and threadbare garments, to continually nourish the bitterness in his Upper Dantian within the Divine Sea. With this bitterness as a catalyst, the techniques of the Bitter Cold Sutra could manifest extraordinary power, and the Suffering Body could grow ever stronger through hardship.
“Since Senior Brother Linghu’s technique is named the Lonely Sword Sutra, and its swordplay is steeped in lonely and desolate intent, it likely follows the same pattern.”
Linghu Jiu had clearly been fighting for a long time. Weary in spirit and body, he finally seized upon a weakness in his enemy, performed a sword move from the Lonely Sword Sutra, and beheaded the demon beast.
The crowd watched the latter half of Linghu Jiu’s grueling battle in silence.
Linghu Jiu’s strength was dazzling—but here, he was just on the margins.
The one most deeply affected was Ning Jiufan.
This Golden Core Ancestor of the Ning Family felt a bitter weight in his chest. If he had swapped places with Linghu Jiu, he feared he would be just as hard-pressed and miserable.
“We Golden Core cultivators, in front of the Peerless Demonic Nest, are as insignificant as ants. The Golden Core in our bodies and our hardened muscles wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps in these demonic beasts’ teeth.”
Suddenly struck by a thought, Ning Zhuo bowed deeply to Immortal Consort Jingyu in gratitude:
“Since the Martial Emperor’s founding of the calendar, Senior Immortal Consort and the venerable sages have guarded this place, battling demons and purging evil without end. Today, we humans are able to dominate the world—this is all thanks to your great merits!”
“Yet the Radiant Reflection Wall lies hidden in underground caverns, veiled by layers of historical mist, never seeing daylight. The glorious deeds of the sages are largely unknown to the world. Only now do I realize that our peace and stability of old were the result of the sages’ quiet, unseen sacrifices.”
“When we first entered the formation, it was named the Lingering Time Drip Formation. As the saying goes, ‘Before the Golden Gates open, time still drips; alighting beneath the canopy, one rests in place.’ The Peerless Demonic Nest has not been eradicated, only sealed and suppressed. The night from the Blood Slaughter Dynasty has never truly ended. Only the sages’ unwavering guardianship has kept darkness from returning to the world and harming all living beings. The merits of the sages shall be remembered for eternity!”
Ning Zhuo voiced what everyone felt, and the others all bowed their heads solemnly in agreement.
The suppression of the Peerless Demonic Nest had begun in the Martial Emperor’s era and continued to this day. How many years had passed?
The Dharma Bodies within the Radiant Reflection Wall had never slackened, cutting off the demonic threat completely, preventing any spillover. This was a monumental service to all races of the current world.
Time still dripped. The night had not yet passed. It was because of their countless years of resistance that the world remained bright.
Immortal Consort Jingyu looked at the kneeling Ning Zhuo and smiled faintly. “Please rise, young friend Ning Zhuo. The river's waves flow endlessly. To earn your recognition is enough to give us old ones some solace.”
A Dharma Body suddenly appeared. “Hahaha, I heard that just now. With such acknowledgment, I feel that even an eternity of confinement here has been worth it!”
The speaker wore a gray wide-sleeved robe, face pale, fanged and blue-eyed—astonishingly, a zombie. Though frightening in appearance, he radiated grandeur, with eyes that were clear and calm.
Sun Lingtong let out a gasp. “Isn’t… isn’t that Lord Sima Tomb?”
Ning Zhuo immediately straightened and saluted the newcomer with respect.
Sima Tomb was a renowned historian of this world. In his youth, he had served as a court historian, recording the deeds and words of kings. Because he remained fair and impartial in his records, he was betrayed by the monarch, imprisoned, and lost his freedom.
To preserve the truth of history, Sima Tomb chose to destroy his own vitality and cultivated himself into a zombie while alive, gaining long life. Throughout his life, his pen was sharp, and his justice unbending. He explored ruins, uncovered lost history, and restored forgotten truths, earning the reverence of generations.
No one expected that Sima Tomb, too, had left behind a projection in the Radiant Reflection Wall.
His blue eyes and fangs swept over Ning Zhuo. He found this big-headed youth quite to his liking. “What a fine jade of talent. Talented people emerge in every generation—meeting excellent juniors like you always lifts my spirits.”
He glanced at Ning Zhuo’s waist, then looked over at Zhu Xuanji, laughing heartily again. “Good, good, very good.”
“You three, along with Linghu Jiu, may each take one Ten-Thousand-Year Water Essence before you leave this place.”
Ning Zhuo once more expressed his thanks.
Zhu Xuanji also bowed and gave thanks.
Ten-Thousand-Year Water Essence was a Nascent Soul-level cultivation resource. Even someone like Zhu Xuanji, who belonged to royalty, was delighted to receive such a treasure.
Sun Lingtong, riding the Wanli Dragon, scratched his head and giggled to himself: “Giving gifts upon meeting—definitely a good elder!”
He was quite familiar with Sima Tomb, as his master had instructed him to study the latter’s works thoroughly.
Sima Tomb was deeply experienced in opening ancient tombs and unearthing historical relics.
Sun Lingtong had often used the knowledge in Sima Tomb’s writings while traveling with his master, enriching their fortune.
At this moment, the Five Elements Divine Lord also coalesced into form. “Aside from the Ten-Thousand-Year Water Essence, if you want other materials, you’ll have to work for them yourselves.”
“These endlessly spawning demon beasts are all treasure troves.”
“You’re welcome to rely on your own abilities to slay demons and claim their riches!”
“Or you can leave behind your Dharma Bodies to hunt demons. The spoils they earn, we’ll store for you. Should you return within your lifetime, you may claim eighty percent of the gains.”
Ning Zhuo grinned mischievously. “Senior Five Elements Divine Lord, you see how generous Lord Sima Tomb is—can’t you give me something too?”
The Five Elements Divine Lord glared. “Brat, I’ve already passed my Divine Spirit Art of the Five Viscera Temple to you—no, you stole it!”
“My Five Elements domain was spied upon by you for ages—you’ve learned plenty already.”
“And now you want my loot too?”
“Shameless!”
Sima Tomb, hearing this, turned his curious gaze to Ning Zhuo. “So this is the heir of the Five Elements Divine Lord from another generation? Congratulations, Senior.”
The Five Elements Divine Lord quickly waved his hands. “No, he’s not my disciple—he learned everything by stealing!”
Immortal Consort Jingyu smiled lightly. “In the past, the Divine Lord nurtured the five spirits within his body, monopolizing the Dao of the Five Elements in Heaven and Earth, becoming the Divine Being of the Five Elements. In replacing Heaven with Man, he incurred Heaven’s wrath, his fortune declined, and his later years were full of misfortune.”
The Five Elements Divine Lord cursed with a laugh. “Damn it, truth is, I didn’t even reach old age before I sacrificed myself.”
Ning Zhuo immediately understood—this was a warning from Immortal Consort Jingyu, using the Five Elements Divine Lord as an example, advising him not to follow the path of raising Five Viscera Spirits to usurp the position of the heavenly gods and bring down Heaven’s wrath.
He hastily bowed in acknowledgment, promising to keep this lesson firmly in mind!
Immortal Consort Jingyu nodded gently and continued, “At first, the Radiant Reflection Wall was merely a spiritual treasure. Over countless years, it has now reached the level of a quasi-immortal treasure.”
“This was entirely due to the Dharma Bodies slaying demon beasts, refining their materials, and merging them into the stone wall, deepening the treasure’s foundation. Over time, its quality was forcefully elevated through sheer accumulation.”
“As Dharma Bodies, we are bound by the spiritual treasure itself. Thus, for the division of spoils from slain demons, we must obey the established distribution rules.”
“But when it comes to our personal inheritances and the Ten-Thousand-Year Water Essence in the outer cavern, those are outside the rules and may be gifted freely.”
At this, the Immortal Consort paused and turned to Zhu Xuanji. “I know your identities and backgrounds. There are many Dharma Bodies within the wall skilled in divination.”
“The world has long been at peace, but in a few hundred years, a great calamity will come, ushering in an era of great strife.”
“This great era will, at minimum, see the rise of an Imperial Dynasty—and may even bring forth the fourth royal dynasty in recorded history!”
“An Imperial Dynasty is one thing, but with every Royal Dynasty, the Radiant Reflection Wall will seal itself and sink deep into the Earth, vanishing from the world.”
“Before that time comes, the Radiant Reflection Wall must use these few centuries to actively absorb the projections of talented young cultivators in preparation for the Peerless Demonic Nest’s resurgence.”
The Peerless Demonic Nest came from beyond the heavens—undying, indestructible, its demon beasts constantly evolving with the external environment.
Thus, static formations could not suppress the nest forever, as the beasts might evolve into forms capable of bypassing or breaking through the array.
To use people to govern the nest, through the Radiant Reflection Wall, was a novel but necessary solution.
Likewise, the Peerless Demonic Nest continued evolving in response to these Dharma Bodies.
Even the Five Elements Divine Lord’s techniques, while still effective, had long since lost much of their potency.
Therefore, the Radiant Reflection Wall must continually absorb the strength of future generations, forming new Dharma Bodies to maintain pressure on the Peerless Demonic Nest.
This was why Immortal Consort Jingyu and the others valued talented juniors like Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu.
Ning Zhuo grew puzzled and asked, “I don’t understand. With so many wise and able people during past Royal Dynasties, wouldn’t they be even more helpful to the Radiant Reflection Wall in suppressing the Peerless Demonic Nest?”
“Why then does the wall always retreat from the world during such times?”