Chapter 419: Canglin Immortal City
After correcting the map, Sun Lingtong discovered that their previous void shuttle escape had already carried them beyond the range of the Thousand Peaks Forest and into the territory of the Liangzhu Kingdom.
Upon inspection, the reserve of Fire Essence had reached the warning line. The remaining amount could only sustain one more void shuttle, and even then, the duration would be short—insufficient for long-distance travel.
With such a Fire Essence reserve, if they were to return to their former state, they would most likely remain within the range of the Thousand Peaks Forest, where they could still be sensed by the Blood Shadow Cave Lord and subjected to pursuit.
They had to find a way to remove the tracking method of the Blood Shadow Cave Lord. Meanwhile, the Wanli Dragon itself had been struck by the Heart Demon Cave Lord’s attack and needed repairs as well.
Even more critical than that, however, was Sun Lingtong’s current injuries.
Sun Lingtong’s previous strategy had been correct—he needed to understand the details of his condition before any proper healing could be carried out. To do that, a clearer understanding of the Stone Dwelling Old Monster was required.
However, their infiltration of the Six Caves Sect’s main mountain gate this time, though yielding unexpected intelligence on the mechanical carriage compartments, had not provided further information about the Stone Dwelling Old Monster.
As for why the Heart Demon Cave Lord had discovered them, Ning Zhuo later speculated that it was very likely due to the Divine Ability—Life Hanging by a Thread he had implanted within the hooded black-robed cultivator.
Indeed, Ning Zhuo had gained many advantages through this divine ability in various ways. These benefits easily created the illusion that the ability was invincible and without flaw.
Now, after the incidents involving Linghu Jiu and the Heart Demon Cave Lord, Ning Zhuo had gradually come to understand the actual limits of the Life Hanging by a Thread divine ability.
“This divine ability may have originated from the Three Sect Lords, but if it were truly invincible, the territory of the Southern Dou Country would be far larger than it is today.”
Following the route Ning Zhuo provided, the Wanli Dragon set out once again.
Though it did not activate its void-shuttling ability, its natural flying speed was still impressive.
After roughly half a day’s travel, the two drew near their destination—the Canglin Immortal City.
As they approached, human presence grew increasingly dense. About thirty li from the Immortal City, Ning Zhuo was the first to step out from the Puppet Dragon.
Sun Lingtong remained inside the Dragon Head Cabin, continuously circulating his mana and attempting other methods to delay the progress of his petrification.
Ning Zhuo tied the Wanli Dragon around his waist like a belt.
He then proceeded on foot, leaping over hills and rivers with agile movements.
Along the way, he encountered an increasing number of cultivators.
Not only humans but also numerous demon cultivators with bare chests, as well as rough-looking barbarians.
Demon cultivators rarely wore much clothing. As beasts, they had always lived naked in the wilds, and even after gaining wisdom upon transformation, they largely retained this habit.
They favored loose, flowing garments such as robes or long dresses, and many especially liked cloaks and capes.
Their clothing often featured vivid and diverse decorations—animal fur, gemstones, flowers, and grasses—expressing their closeness to nature.
The barbarians, on the other hand, dressed mostly in animal hides, iron armor, or crudely woven grass vines, and sometimes even scales.
They preferred dark red, earthy yellow, emerald green, and gray-black hues.
They generally believed red represented blood, yellow symbolized the earth, green stood for forests, and gray-black signified the charred state of all things after being burned.
Thus, they revered combat, blood, courage, and the bond between the self and nature.
Compared to demon cultivators, their attire was much tighter, allowing for freer movement in battle. Their trousers were usually bound with leather straps, and the female barbarians’ clothes were even more concise and close-fitting, embodying a raw, primal beauty.
Ning Zhuo noted that they often carried axes or hammers in their hands and bore spears or bows on their backs. The stronger their power and status, the more ornaments they wore—usually animal teeth, bones, or pelts.
Their necklaces, bracers, and other accessories were all oversized, as if the larger they were, the greater their pride and strength appeared.
Like Ning Zhuo, these cultivators were all heading toward the Canglin Immortal City. Some hurried along silently, while others traveled in groups, chatting and laughing.
From afar, Ning Zhuo gazed at the Canglin Immortal City, which resembled a flowing river with rising and falling waves.
The city’s terrain was uneven, built among hills, with its architecture distributed according to the contours of the land, creating a harmonious yet varied scene.
Even from a distance, Ning Zhuo could make out winding streets and clusters of twisting buildings.
Beside the Immortal City stood several military camps.
On the eastern side was one with strict vigilance, red flags fluttering, and blazing heat billowing—clearly a camp practicing Fire Attribute spells. To the west, another camp’s gates stood wide open, with streams of people flowing in and out, a mix of demon cultivators and barbarians, their loud shouts echoing in waves.
Faintly visible in the distance were several more camps.
At ten li from the city, a prohibition came into effect—no flying was allowed. Anyone wishing to enter the city had to proceed on foot.
Ordinarily, this would not have been the case. But given the current special situation—with Liangzhu Kingdom’s armies continuously gathering, the vanguard already stationed at the foot of the Thousand Peaks Forest—behind them lay several major strongholds, and further back was the Canglin Immortal City.
As the closest Immortal City to the battlefield at the Thousand Peaks Forest, it now bore the critical responsibility of serving as the rearguard base.
Thus, under strict military control, aerial travel was forbidden, preventing surveillance or ambush from above.
Following the crowd, Ning Zhuo reached the city gates.
City guards stood watch, demanding an entry fee of fifty low-grade Spirit Stones from each entrant.
“If you’re here to enlist,” one guard shouted repeatedly, “you needn’t enter the city! Several military camps outside are recruiting talents! The White Jade Camp offers the highest pay—double that of the Red Flower Camp!”
Indeed, among the cultivators entering the city, many who heard this turned back and headed toward the military camps.
After paying the entry fee, Ning Zhuo formally set foot within the Canglin Immortal City.
The city was lush with vegetation, filled with vividly colored flowers and exotic plants.
Its houses sprawled in curving lines, uneven yet beautifully arranged, possessing a unique charm in their lack of symmetry.
Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but take a deep breath. The air he inhaled was warm and moist, carrying the fragrance of blossoms and grass. Evidently, the climate here was most pleasant.
Gradually leaving the city gate behind, Ning Zhuo did not head toward the city center but slipped instead into a winding, narrow street.
Lining both sides were ancient wooden buildings shaded by verdant trees. Shops, teahouses, and taverns filled the street, almost all made of timber, with bamboo being the most common material. Many roofs and walls were covered with woven grass or creeping vines.
Ning Zhuo soon found a place that sold intelligence.
A short while later, he emerged from a dim alley carrying several Jade Slips, then entered a tavern to eat while reviewing the information he had purchased.
The intelligence was divided into three parts.
One was about the Thousand Peaks Forest, another concerned the Liangzhu Kingdom’s crusading army, and the last detailed the Canglin Immortal City itself.
In the Thousand Peaks Forest section, the first name Ning Zhuo saw was the Dragon Ginseng King. It was the most powerful deity within the Thousand Peaks Forest, its true form being a dragon-whiskered ginseng. Within the forest, it possessed the might of a Soul Formation–level being—the strongest opponent the royal expeditionary army faced on the surface.
Besides that were the Six Caves Sect, the Pale Savage Elephant Herd, the Cangyue Tribe, the Ancient Vine Tribe, and the Hundred Venoms Tribe—all formidable factions and organizations.
Within the records of the expeditionary army, Ning Zhuo found detailed information about the vanguard troops, the overall commander of the grand army, and the four generals currently stationed near Canglin Immortal City.
They were Lu Chi, Xu Dali, Shuang Jing, and Mu Lan.
Among them, Lu Chi commanded the Fire Cloud Army—the very same camp Ning Zhuo had seen upon entering the city, with clouds of flame rising as soldiers practiced Fire Attribute spells.
Xu Dali was a half-blood of barbarian and demon lineage, commanding the Barbarian-Demon Army. As its name suggested, this army was composed entirely of barbarians and demon cultivators.
Shuang Jing led the White Jade Army, currently stationed to the west of Canglin Immortal City. Ning Zhuo had entered through the east gate, so he had not seen it.
However, he recalled the city guards shouting earlier, encouraging outside cultivators to enlist in the White Jade Army, since it offered the highest pay.
The comparison had been made to General Mu Lan’s Red Flower Army, which, according to the intelligence, was the smallest in scale and offered the lowest pay.
There was another commander named Sun Qian, who was leading the elite Golden Halberd Army from the capital; they were expected to arrive within a few days.
The Golden Halberd Army was one of the kingdom’s forbidden guard divisions, and Sun Qian himself was one of the supreme commanders among them. Though small in number, their combat power was exceptional.
That the King of Liangzhu Kingdom would dispatch such a force made clear his unshakable resolve to conquer the Thousand Peaks Forest!
The intelligence about Canglin Immortal City allowed Ning Zhuo to quickly understand its structure.
The tallest building in the city was the Thousand-Wood Tower, a treasure constructed from thousands of types of wood.
There were two temples in the city—the Temple of the Tree God and the Temple of the Beast King.
These two deities had gained the Liangzhu Kingdom’s favor over a hundred years ago. They had once been minor gods, but by now their faith had spread throughout the Thousand Peaks Forest.
As the King of Liangzhu Kingdom waged war upon the Thousand Peaks Forest, these two gods had become his divine allies.
It was evident that the king’s plan had been laid for over a century. The invasion of the Thousand Peaks Forest was no sudden decision—it had long been a carefully prepared scheme.
“I found it!” Ning Zhuo exclaimed. “In the intelligence concerning the Stone Dwelling Old Monster, there’s a rumor that he began cultivation as a Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Essence, obtained a great opportunity, and fused with a fragment of Treasure-Dividing Rock. Because of that, he mastered a divine ability called Stone-Forged Earth Treasure.”
“This divine ability can transform all things in the world into stone, then use the passage of time to temper them—gradually turning ordinary stone into precious materials. Most of these materials are metals, jades, and spiritual ores.”
With that, Ning Zhuo had achieved his goal.
Since the Liangzhu Kingdom was preparing a grand campaign against the Thousand Peaks Forest, they must have conducted extensive research and gathered a great deal of intelligence.
Now that Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo could not approach the Thousand Peaks Forest, it was better to start from its enemies’ side—to search their records for information about the Stone Dwelling Old Monster.
Sun Lingtong frowned deeply. “Stone-Forged Earth Treasure? So it’s a divine ability… no wonder I can’t dispel it, and it’s becoming harder to resist—it can even petrify mana itself.”
“Divine abilities stand above ordinary spells,” he continued, “but isn’t the Stone Dwelling Old Monster already dead? How can his divine ability still function?”
Ning Zhuo shook his head. “He’s probably dead. Both the Six Caves Sect and the intelligence here in Canglin Immortal City describe him as being at the Nascent Soul level.”
“He was likely in seclusion, attempting to ascend to the Soul Formation level, but failed and perished.”
“His divine ability, for some reason, continues to function. But I believe it is not acting consciously—its power is limited.”
“Otherwise, with our meager strength, we wouldn’t have survived this long.”
Sun Lingtong nodded repeatedly. “You’re right, Zhuo!”
He then asked with concern, “Now that we know it’s caused by a divine ability, how can we resolve it?”
Ning Zhuo sighed softly. “This is indeed beyond our ability. We must seek help. The intelligence mentions that there’s a physician in Canglin Immortal City of extraordinary skill, named Iron-Crutch Imperial Physician. He once served as the royal physician to the King of Liangzhu Kingdom. We should visit him first for a diagnosis.”
“Ah…” Sun Lingtong sighed as well. “Anyone who can serve as a royal physician must be quite capable. Let’s go and see him.”
Ning Zhuo quickly finished his meal and packed another portion to take along.
He delivered the food to the Wanli Dragon, allowing Sun Lingtong to eat and replenish himself.
Then Ning Zhuo wove his way through the alleys, following the directions from the intelligence. After traversing much of Canglin Immortal City, he finally arrived at the Tie Yi Medical Hall.
The clinic’s storefront was small and deserted—not at all what one would expect from a renowned healer.
Ning Zhuo grew doubtful and approached the entrance.
A young boy sat on a small stool just inside the doorway. When he saw Ning Zhuo, he waved and said, “You’re an outlander come seeking treatment, right?”
“Yes,” Ning Zhuo nodded.
“Can’t be treated anymore,” the boy said bluntly. “My master has decided to join the army. The clinic closed just yesterday. I’m only here to inform visitors like you.”
Ning Zhuo frowned. “May I ask where Master Zhang is now?”
“Oh, he’s in the military camp outside the city. But if you’re hoping for treatment, it’s impossible. You’ve surely heard about my master’s temperament—stubborn as a rock.”
“Many people have already tried visiting the camp to find him, but none succeeded.”
“If you ask me, you’d be better off looking for another healer.”
Ning Zhuo nodded, thanked the boy, and before leaving, slipped him a handful of Spirit Stones.
“This will be troublesome,” said Sun Lingtong.
He, too, had read the intelligence.
Within Canglin Immortal City, the strongest physician was undoubtedly Zhang Chongyi. Other healers were of average skill, unlikely to cure an affliction caused by divine power.
“Let’s go to the camp and find him,” Ning Zhuo said firmly, unwilling to give up.
Leaving Canglin Immortal City through the west gate, he soon saw two large military camps standing almost side by side.
The White Jade Camp was grand and resplendent, its tents encircled by white jade walls. The chevaux-de-frise were not made of ordinary wood stakes but were carved entirely from white jade, inscribed with dense talismans that radiated a stable, mountain-like aura.
High watchtowers loomed above, emitting dazzling light even by day as they scanned the surroundings.
On a golden pillar flagpole fluttered the banner of the White Jade Army. The flag was made from brilliant white jade fabric, embroidered with a dragon-shaped pattern inlaid with silver thread. The dragon’s eyes gleamed as if ready to soar into the sky.
The camp’s gates were even more ostentatious—two massive doors made entirely of white jade, each inlaid with countless top-grade Spirit Stones.
A group of cavalrymen galloped within the camp, their movements uniform and precise. Every warhorse bore an exquisite white jade saddle, studded with gems that glittered like stars, exuding an air of nobility.