142: Chapter 101 Return to the Immortal City of Ten Thousand Demons

The flying boat headed south.

Chen Xuan stood by the ship's railing, holding that cyan Jade Slip in his hand.

The Golden Core Dao from ten thousand years ago.

All the profound methods within pointed towards the Golden Nature.

Only an indestructible Golden Nature is a true Golden Core!

Using the image of the Golden Nature as the Foundation, forging the Purple Mansion Foundation, and transforming it into a Small World.

This is the true Golden Core.

He retracted the Jade Slip and closed his eyes to look within.

In his Dantian, five-colored light swirled within the Purple Mansion, and the image of the City Wall Earth floated in the center; that miniature ancient city wall had already solidified like iron.

The three images of Heavenly Fire rotated slowly on the other side of the Purple Mansion, like three miniature suns.

Three more Heavenly Fires and five more City Wall Earths were still needed.

The journey was long and the burden was heavy.

But he was not in a hurry.

The flying boat landed at the airport of Wanyao Immortal City.

Chen Xuan jumped off the flying boat and walked along the central avenue toward the Inner City.

There were many more people on the streets than usual.

Strange faces, strange robes, and strange accents.

They were not people from the Southern Region.

Chen Xuan stopped and watched a group of Cultivators walking past him.

Their robes were embroidered with cloud patterns, and a character "Tian" (Heaven) was carved on the tokens at their waists.

Cultivators from the Central Plains.

The leader was a young man at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, with a handsome face and arrogant eyes.

He glanced at the shops on both sides of the street, the corners of his mouth slightly raised with a hint of disdain.

"Is this the most prosperous Immortal City in the Southern Region?"

"It is nothing special."

The Cultivators behind him laughed.

The sound was not loud, but it was grating.

Chen Xuan watched them without speaking.

He continued walking forward.

When he reached the entrance of the Inner City, Senior Sister Wen Yao was standing there.

She wore a cyan martial outfit, with twin swords hanging at her waist, and her long hair tied into a ponytail.

The red lotus petal mark between her eyebrows glowed red in the sunlight.

"Junior Brother, you are back."

"Senior Sister, what happened?"

Senior Sister Wen Yao was silent for a moment.

"The struggle for the Daoist lineage in the Central Plains has been decided."

"The Buddhist Sect has lost."

"A Nascent Soul Immortal Master was killed by the Sword Sect, and two Bodhisattvas were severely injured and fled. The Buddhist Sect has withdrawn all its forces outside the Southern Region, but one defeated army did not retreat to the Central Plains; instead, they retreated to the Southern Region."

Chen Xuan's brows furrowed.

"Retreated to the Southern Region?"

"Three days ago, the first batch of Central Plains Cultivators appeared in Fusheng Immortal City. Yesterday, the second batch appeared in Bihai Immortal City. This morning, the third batch arrived in Wanyao Immortal City."

Senior Sister Wen Yao's tone was calm, but Chen Xuan could hear the gravity in it.

"They are not here as guests. They are here to take refuge."

"But those seeking refuge would not look down on their hosts."

Chen Xuan nodded.

"What does Revered Master say?"

"Revered Master said to go see him after you return."

Chen Xuan walked into the Inner City and headed toward Master Liu Yun's Immortal Cave.

The door of the Immortal Cave was open.

Master Liu Yun sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his white hair disheveled, and his left sleeve hanging empty at his side.

A map was spread out in front of him, marking the locations of various Immortal Cities in the Southern Region.

"Revered Master."

"Sit."

Chen Xuan sat down on a meditation cushion.

Master Liu Yun looked up at him.

"What did you find in the Immortal Cave?"

"A Jade Slip. It records the Golden Core Dao from ten thousand years ago."

Chen Xuan handed the cyan Jade Slip to Master Liu Yun.

Master Liu Yun took it and probed it with his Divine Sense.

A moment later, he retracted his Divine Sense and returned the Jade Slip to Chen Xuan.

"The Dao from ten thousand years ago is still the Righteous Path today."

"Using the image of the Golden Nature as the Foundation, forging the Purple Mansion Foundation, and transforming it into a Small World."

"This is the true Golden Core."

"Since you have obtained this Legacy, you should study it well."

Chen Xuan nodded.

"Revered Master, how should we handle the Cultivators from the Central Plains?"

Master Liu Yun was silent for a long time.

"The struggle for the Daoist lineage between the Central Plains Buddhist Sect and the Sword Sect has been won by the Sword Sect. The Buddhist Sect's forces outside the Southern Region were almost uprooted, but a remnant army retreated to the Southern Region. The leader is a Golden Core Immortal Master with the Daoist name 'Kumu', from the Buddhist Sect, at the Late Stage of Golden Core."

"He is currently in Fusheng Immortal City, claiming to be seeking refuge, but he brought over three hundred Cultivators, including Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining, with strong troops and sturdy horses."

"The Fusheng Sect dares not move against him, and the Qingcang Sect does not want to cause trouble."

"Our Liuyang Sword Sect cannot move against him either."

Master Liu Yun's tone was flat, but Chen Xuan could hear the helplessness in it.

Late Stage of Golden Core.

There were no Cultivators at the Late Stage of Golden Core in the entire Southern Region.

Master Liu Yun was only at the Middle Stage of Golden Core at his peak; after losing his arm, his strength was greatly reduced.

The Golden Core Immortal Masters of the other two sects were at most at the Middle Stage of Golden Core.

Even if the The Three Sects combined, they might not be a match for Immortal Master Kumu.

"Do they want to stay in the Southern Region?"

"It is not that they want to stay in the Southern Region; they want to occupy the Southern Region."

Master Liu Yun stood up and walked to the window.

"Immortal Master Kumu sent someone to deliver a letter to me yesterday, saying he wants to build another Immortal City in the northern part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range to form a pincer formation with Wanyao Immortal City."

"Building a city is a pretext; stationing troops is the truth."

"He wants to drive a nail into the north and, once the situation in the Central Plains stabilizes, return to fight back."

Chen Xuan was silent for a moment.

"Did Revered Master agree?"

"I neither agreed nor refused."

Master Liu Yun turned around and looked at Chen Xuan.

"I am waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"Waiting for the reaction from the Central Plains. Although the Buddhist Sect has lost, the Nascent Soul Immortal Masters are not all dead. Although the Sword Sect has won, they did not win easily. The Nascent Soul Cultivators on both sides are healing their wounds and will not take major actions in the short term. However, Immortal Master Kumu retreating to the Southern Region with over three hundred Cultivators is no small matter. There will be a reaction from the Central Plains sooner or later."

"Before the reaction arrives, we can only stabilize the situation and must not intensify the conflict."

Chen Xuan nodded.

"This Disciple understands."

"Go. Do not leave the city these few days; the Southern Region is not peaceful."

Chen Xuan stood up, bowed to Master Liu Yun, and exited the Immortal Cave.

He walked along the bluestone path toward the east side.

When he reached the entrance of his courtyard, he stopped.

A person was standing in the courtyard.

It was not Liu Lili; it was a stranger.

A middle-aged man, at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, with a thin face and deep eyes.

He wore a gray Daoist robe, with a token hanging at his waist.

A character "Tian" (Heaven) was carved on the token.

A Cultivator from the Central Plains.

Seeing Chen Xuan, he cupped his hands.

"Are you Yun Qi?"

Chen Xuan did not speak.

The middle-aged man smiled.

"My name is Zhou He, a Disciple under Immortal Master Kumu. The Immortal Master asked me to come and ask you one question."

"What question?"

"Are you willing to join the Buddhist Sect?"

Chen Xuan looked at him for a long time.

"I am not willing."

Zhou He's smile did not change.

"Daoist Yun, you do not need to rush your answer. Think it over clearly, and you can come find me at any time. I am at the White Lotus Temple in Fusheng Immortal City."

He cupped his hands and turned to leave.

His footsteps were very light, as if treading on cotton.

Chen Xuan watched his back disappear at the end of the alley before pushing the door open to enter the courtyard.

Liu Lili was sitting by the stone table, holding a bowl of soup in her hands.

The soup had already gone cold.

Seeing Chen Xuan come in, she stood up.

"Junior Brother, that person..."

"I heard. He is from the Central Plains and wants me to join the Buddhist Sect."

Liu Lili bit her lip.

"Did you refuse?"

"I refused."

Liu Lili breathed a sigh of relief and placed the soup bowl on the stone table.

"The soup has gone cold; I will go heat it up."

She picked up the soup bowl and walked toward the kitchen.