125: Tianlinggen Hanging Temple Beiji Palace

Chapter 124: Heavenly Spiritual Root, Hanging Temple, Northern Pole Palace

Yunmeng Terrace.

Tuoba Qingying sat sideways on the edge of the carved railing, gazing blankly at the sea of clouds in the distance.

"Aunt, what are you thinking about~"

Tuoba Lingyun leaned closer, tilting her head and asking curiously.

Tuoba Qingying shook her head, tapped Tuoba Lingyun's little head, and said, "Whatever your aunt is thinking about, I just won't tell you."

"Hmph! Don't think I don't know."

Tuoba Lingyun raised her head and said, "You definitely want to run out and take a look, right? Exactly the same as what I'm thinking!"

"Yunmeng Island is simply too small, and the Old Ancestor and the others won't let us out. Every day is just Cultivate and Cultivate, it's so boring!"

Tuoba Qingying didn't speak. She knew that even if she didn't say anything, this little fellow at home could ramble on and on by herself.

"Before, the Old Ancestor said something about Spiritual Qi suddenly recovering, telling us to hurry up and Cultivate to break through the Bottleneck, but I've been in seclusion for over a month and haven't seen any Breakthrough at all!"

"And you, Auntie, you are a Heavenly Spiritual Root, how come you haven't broken through either?"

"Who says I haven't broken through?"

Tuoba Qingying asked in return, only to be met with Tuoba Lingyun's silly little face.

"Aunt, you really broke through."

"Mn."

Tuoba Qingying nodded, but still shook her head and said, "It's far too far behind..."

"I heard from Grandfather that in the Cultivation World over three thousand years ago, Heavenly Spiritual Roots were the darlings of heaven and earth. Entering the Dao in three months, Middle Stage in a year, Late Stage in three years, and able to step into the Foundation Establishment Realm in five years."

"Within ten years, the Golden Core was within sight."

"Regrettably, I have bitterly cultivated the Cultivation Technique since childhood. Yet now, the immortal path is severed and Spiritual Qi tides surge. I've cultivated for a full ten years, yet I've only barely reached the seventh layer of Qi Condensation!"

"This..." Tuoba Qingying smiled bitterly and said, "Can I still be called a Heavenly Spiritual Root?"

"You are already very amazing, wow!"

Tuoba Lingyun shook Tuoba Qingying's arm hard and said excitedly, "Uncle Qingtong and Uncle Qingshan, they have both cultivated for nearly thirty years, aren't they still only in the Middle Stage of Qi Condensation?"

"Aunt, you are already in the Late Stage of Qi Condensation! Just like several Elders and Great-grandfather, you are a powerful Late Stage Cultivator!"

Tuoba Qingying rolled her eyes at her and said, "Just the Late Stage of Qi Condensation, what kind of powerful Cultivator is that? Aren't you afraid of making people laugh their teeth off."

"That's different!"

Tuoba Lingyun insisted, "Over three thousand years ago, the Late Stage of Qi Condensation was nothing, but now it's a time of Spiritual Qi tides and a Land Forsaken by Spiritual Qi!"

"In the entire Land Forsaken by Spiritual Qi, Late Stage Cultivators can be counted on two hands, and there isn't a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator."

"If a Late Stage Cultivator isn't called a powerful Cultivator, what else could they be called!"

Tuoba Qingying said helplessly, "Ah, right, right, right, you're right, Late Stage of Qi Condensation... powerful Cultivator, giggle giggle..."

The two women immediately giggled, their shoulders shaking with laughter. However, Tuoba Qingying quickly recovered and gazed into the distant sea of clouds, saying:

"No matter what happens in this life, I, Tuoba Qingying, will step into the Nascent Soul Stage to witness the great changes of heaven and earth, the recovery of Spiritual Qi, and the arrival of the golden age of cultivation!"

"The Nascent Soul Stage!"

Tuoba Lingyun was startled by Tuoba Qingying's oath and hurriedly said, "Aunt, have you gone mad? That's a powerful Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator; no one dares to think about that nowadays."

"The overseas Cultivation World doesn't even have a single Golden Core, yet you're taking an oath to step into the Nascent Soul Stage, this..."

Tuoba Qingying's eyes were bright and incomparably resolute as she said, "I am a Heavenly Spiritual Root Cultivator. Over three thousand years ago, the Nascent Soul Bottleneck was nothing to a Heavenly Spiritual Root Cultivator."

"Since they could achieve it, I, Tuoba Qingying, can definitely achieve it as well!"

"No matter what price I have to pay in this life, I, Tuoba Qingying, will step into the Nascent Soul Stage!"

"Roaming the Northern Sea at dawn and Cangwu at dusk—let heaven and earth bear witness to this oath!"

After speaking, Tuoba Qingying suddenly stood up and walked toward Yunmeng Terrace.

"Aunt, where are you going!"

"I have already broken through to the Late Stage of Qi Condensation, fulfilling my agreement with Grandfather."

Tuoba Qingying walked as she said, "Once I stabilize my Realm and refine my natal Magical Artifact, I will apply to Grandfather to go out and travel."

"I refuse to believe that Yunmeng Marsh is the only place in this world that possesses Spiritual Qi."

"Since Spiritual Qi recovered slightly a month ago, it proves that a large amount of Spiritual Qi exists somewhere. I must find it."

"The first target... the Great Yu Capital!!!"

...

"Om!"

"Ma!"

"Ni!"

"Pad!"

"Me!"

"Hum!"

Wusi Country.

Ancient Buddhism.

Low, hoarse Buddhist chants imbued with a dense, majestic aura drifted down from the eternal Hanging Temple of Ancient Buddhism.

Golden light condensed into streaks of Buddhist rune scripts, slowly descending toward the ground.

Beneath the Hanging Temple knelt serfs who were ragged, sallow, and emaciated, yet wore fanatical expressions.

They knelt on the ground with their hands continuously pressed together in prayer, fanatically roaring in low voices.

"My Buddha..."

"..."

The low Buddhist chants continued as pale-golden Buddhist sound runes kept falling. They raised their heads to gaze up, their expressions fanatical.

The golden runes fluttered and drifted down, landing between the brows of the countless fanatical believers.

The next moment, these golden runes unexpectedly transformed into ferocious blood-colored evil ghosts, viciously pouncing toward the glabella of the believers, quickly merging into them and disappearing.

Inside the Hanging Temple, the chanting became even more rapid, and even the tone shifted into a different voice.

Like a mother whispering softly, or raindrops falling from the sky, recounting something.

In a trance, from a direction invisible to those fanatical believers, wisps of inexplicable blood-colored auras slowly surged from their corpses, transforming into faint blood mists that drifted above the Hanging Temple.

It was as though... they were watering a delicate and vibrant lotus flower.

Hanging Temple, Ancient Buddha Hall.

Standing here was a bizarre Buddha statue. Its front face was radiant with golden light, brimming with Buddhist radiance, and solemn in posture. It sat cross-legged, holding a lotus flower in its hand, looking extraordinarily winding and magnificent.

Behind the Buddha statue, however, was a ferocious Yaksha covered in scales, with a blue face and sharp fangs, stepping on a vicious flood dragon and wielding a trident, while its other hand grasped an infant with incomparable viciousness.

"My Buddha!"

"The Ascension sacrificial ceremony of all living beings has concluded. This time, a total of 3,656 believers have ascended, which is enough to cast a layer of golden light for our Buddha, enveloping the snowy plateau for a full ten years!"

"Om Mani Padme!"

Several monks draped in blood-colored kasayas spoke in low voices to an old monk sitting beneath the dais.

The old monk was extremely aged and emaciated, looking like skin and bones with sunken eye sockets. His eyeballs had almost turned into two stones, appearing incomparably withered and decaying.

He was also draped in a wide, large red kasaya embellished with numerous golden tassels. Draped over his body, it looked like a quilt, almost entirely enveloping him.

A hoarse voice came from his mouth, sounding like two rusted pieces of iron rubbing against each other.

The several monks kneeling before him lowered their heads, which were already pressed against the ground, even further.

"My Lord has... passed down... an imperial decree..."

The old monk spoke one word at a time, as if every word consumed all his strength.

"Spiritual Qi... briefly... recovers... located in... eastern... countries."

"Spiritual Child... descends... era of great contention..."

"Proclaim to... secular lords... Buddhist army... march east... search for... the Spiritual Child..."

"My Lord... is watching."

"Om Mani Padme!"

"We strictly obey My Lord's decree!"

Several monks once again knelt and kowtowed, their eyes extremely respectful.

Several days later, dozens of monks emerged from the Hanging Temple and sprinted rapidly in all directions.

Their mission was to gather all the main troops believing in the Ancient Sect, head all the way east, and search for the Spiritual Child whom my Buddha had reincarnated to recultivate!

Thus continuing to protect the Ancient Sect!

After receiving the message from the ancient master of the Hanging Temple, countries such as Wusi Country, Zhuba Country, and Puzong Country mobilized their entire domestic armies at the very first moment and charged toward neighboring countries.

Countries like Dayue Country, Ghost Country, and Gaoshan Country were all within their range of invasion.

Along with the outbreak of the war of invasion, ancient Buddhist monks from the Hanging Temple also appeared within the armies.

Under their assistance, the allied forces of the Buddhist nations achieved consecutive major victories, cutting through bamboo like a hot knife through butter.

Meanwhile.

On a snow-capped mountain located in the Extreme Northern Land, a snow-white gyrfalcon flew swiftly past, leaving behind a sharp, piercing cry in the air.

The blizzard raged, yet it couldn't obstruct the gyrfalcon's robust physique and wings in the slightest. It quickly landed on the shoulder of a figure entirely enveloped in a white cloak.

"Screech~!"

The gyrfalcon emitted a series of sharp cries, as if recounting something.

The figure nodded slightly, turned around quickly, and walked into a palace behind her.

The wind and snow raged, faintly revealing the palace plaque inscribed with three large characters: "Northern Pole Palace".

"Palace Master!"

The figure walked rapidly toward the palace. Along the way, the entire passage was constructed from ice crystals, making one feel as if they were in a crystal palace.

The cloak on her body fluttered as well, revealing the figure beneath the cloak—unexpectedly an exquisitely beautiful young girl around twenty years of age.

Soon, she arrived before a huge ice crystal.

The ice crystal was shaped like a pagoda, sitting tier upon tier within.

In front of the pagoda sat an old woman with completely white hair and beard, sagging skin, but an extremely dense aura of Evil Qi on her body.

"Palace Master!"

The young girl knelt before the old woman and said excitedly, "The spiritual bird has notified us that three of the previously blooming Profound Ice Snow Lotuses have already withered, and the remaining seven..."

"Crack!"

Before her voice could fall, the armrest of the throne beneath the old woman's hand was directly crushed by her.

"Hehehe, cough cough... cough..."

"Is this the recovery of Spiritual Qi and the golden age of cultivation that you all calculated?"

"Damn it!"

"Why wake this Immortal Master up early? This Immortal Master should have continued to slumber for another five thousand years! Damn it...!"

"Boom!"

Accompanied by her roar, a violent blizzard suddenly whipped up around them, almost enveloping the entire passage.

On the ground and the walls, layers of ice crystals spread at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly filling the entire passage.

"Palace Master..."

The girl kneeling on the ground said tremblingly, but the old woman had no intention of stopping at all.

"Now that this Immortal Master has awakened, I can no longer use the ten-thousand-year Profound Ice to freeze myself, and can only die of old age during this period of Spiritual Qi tides!"

"Outrageous!"

"Who told you all to wake this Immortal Master up!"

"P-Palace Master, when ten Profound Ice Snow Lotuses bloom, it will automatically wake the Seniors of the Northern Pole Palace, P-Palace Master..."

"Boom!"

After a full time it takes to brew a cup of tea, by which time the girl was almost frozen into an ice sculpture, the old woman slowly came to a halt.

"Ten Profound Ice Snow Lotuses bloom, hehehe... Why did three more wither?"

"This is simply not the recovery of Spiritual Qi! Something else has happened!"

"An ancient immortal mansion has emerged? A collision of Mount Sumeru Small Worlds? Or has a Secret Realm collapsed?"

"No matter what, find them! Only there can this Immortal Master continue to survive."

"Three years! I give you three years! Send out your Disciples and make sure to find that secret land for this Immortal Master!"

"Otherwise, everyone can be buried with this Immortal Master!"

"Yes! Y-Yes... Palace Master, this subordinate will go handle it right away!"

The young girl staggeringly stood up and ran toward the outside of the palace in utter disarray.

Inside the entire passage, only the old woman heavily panting for breath remained.

Her figure slowly turned back, gazing into the crystal tower behind her.

"My fellow Senior Sisters, Junior Sisters, Master, and Senior Martial Uncles, why is it... me who woke up?"

Following her gaze, within that ice crystal tower, one exquisite beauty after another with tightly closed eyes and dressed in palace attire was still frozen inside.

A rough glance showed that there were at least twenty-odd people!

These people were all Cultivators who survived after the Northern Pole Palace experienced successive major upheavals following the arrival of the Spiritual Qi tides.

Using heaven-defying methods, they froze themselves beneath the ten-thousand-year Profound Ice, quietly awaiting the recovery of Spiritual Qi and the golden age of cultivation ten thousand years later.

Regrettably, one of them had now awakened prematurely!

This chapter was under review, so I modified it for a while.