152: In the desolate upper realm, the Heavenly Feather Hall Master!

The next moment! Boom! The sandy ground beneath their feet suddenly exploded, and a behemoth burst out from the soil.

It was a massive black scorpion over ten zhang in length.

The scorpion was covered from head to tail in a pitch-black carapace, its two giant pincers resembling guillotines, flashing with a cold light, and the high-raised tail stinger behind it emitted a ghostly blue light.

A terrifying Demonic Qi of the Early Stage of Soul Transformation erupted outward!

"It is a Spirit Realm Yao Beast!" Murong Zhuyun exclaimed.

"Perfect timing! Just the thing for me to practice with!" Sect Master Ba Dao roared, the pent-up anger in his chest finally finding a vent.

He shot out like a cannonball, his giant saber, as wide as a door panel, carrying the weight of ten thousand jun, hacking fiercely toward the Black Wind Scorpion's head!

"Attack together! Quick battle, quick decision!" Chen Daoxuan also summoned his Flying Sword, following closely behind.

For a time, saber light and sword shadows flashed, and Magic Treasures roared. The members of the Chen Family quickly formed a battle formation, engaging the Soul Transformation Stage Black Wind Scorpion in a fierce fight.

However, Yao Beasts of the Spirit Realm were far more formidable than those of the same rank in the Lower Realm.

Sect Master Ba Dao's strike, which was powerful enough to split a mountain, landed on the Black Wind Scorpion's carapace, only sparking a series of dazzling flashes and leaving a shallow white mark.

The Black Wind Scorpion felt pain and let out a shrill screech. With a sweep of its giant pincers, its violent demonic power sent Sect Master Ba Dao flying, along with his saber.

"Pfft!" A Cultivator at the Nascent Soul Stage could not dodge in time and was struck by the scorpion's tail. His protective Spiritual Qi shattered instantly, and he flew backward like a kite with a broken string, blood spraying wildly from his mouth.

The battle entered a white-hot state instantly. Chen Xu stood at the rear, watching everything with a calm expression, not making a move.

He needed to let these people adapt to the cruelty of the Spirit Realm and the rhythm of battle here as quickly as possible. Blind protection would only turn them into flowers in a greenhouse.

After a grueling struggle and at the cost of several people being seriously injured, Chen Daoxuan finally seized an Opportunity, controlling his Flying Sword to pierce into the gap in the Black Wind Scorpion's carapace, penetrating its brain.

The massive Black Wind Scorpion let out a mournful cry, collapsed with a boom, and ceased to breathe.

Everyone was panting, and many collapsed directly onto the ground. But in everyone's eyes, there was a look of excitement.

In the Spirit Realm, they had killed a Soul Transformation Stage Yao Beast with their own strength!

Night fell. The group found a sheltered stone wall, lit a bonfire, and simply treated their wounds and sorted their spoils.

Chen Xu sat cross-legged and began to attempt to absorb the Spiritual Qi of this place. The violent energy surged into his Meridians, feeling like countless steel needles pricking him, causing excruciating pain.

But he did not even frown. He forcibly operated his Primordial Chaos Dao Body, refining and purifying these complex energies bit by bit, eventually turning them into pure mana that merged into his Purple Mansion and Primordial Spirit.

"What a fast speed!" Chen Xu opened his eyes, a flash of pleasant surprise in them.

Although the Spiritual Qi here was violent and difficult to refine, the level of energy it contained was far beyond what the Lower Realm could compare to. As long as one could withstand the pain of refining it, the speed of cultivation improvement would be at least ten times faster than in the Lower Realm!

Crisis is also an Opportunity! He immediately taught this discovery and the cultivation method to everyone.

Upon hearing this, everyone was overjoyed and followed suit, sitting cross-legged and beginning their first cultivation session since arriving in the Spirit Realm in this harsh environment.

Time passed slowly. Just as Chen Xu was immersed in the pleasure of his rapidly increasing cultivation base, hum—the teleportation formation diagram in his Sea of Consciousness that served as a compass suddenly began to vibrate violently without any warning!

A faint golden light shot out from the compass, pointing toward a certain direction in the Gobi Desert. At the same time, the human emperor seal, which had merged with his Primordial Spirit at the center of his brow, also sent out a throb of longing!

It was as if something in that direction was echoing his human emperor Qi from afar!

"Hmm?" Chen Xu opened his eyes abruptly, his gaze looking sharply in that direction. His actions woke up everyone who was cultivating.

"Father, what is it?" "There... seems to be something over there."

Chen Xu stood up, looking out into the pitch-black depths of the Gobi Desert. He could feel that the call carried a breath of the same source of imperial Dao.

"Let's go, let's go take a look!" Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Xu made his decision. Wealth is sought in danger! In this perilous Spirit Realm, no Opportunity could be missed!

Everyone immediately stood up and set off on their journey again. This time, they had a clear goal.

Guided by the compass, they trudged through the Gobi Desert for several hours. Just as the sky began to turn white, a massive, sky-covering sandstorm rose from the ground without warning, connecting heaven and earth.

"Quick! Form a defensive formation!" The group's expressions changed, and they hurriedly raised their protective Spiritual Qi.

However, the sandstorm came quickly and left just as quickly. After only a few breaths, it roared past and disappeared into the horizon.

When the sandstorm dissipated, everyone looked up and stared ahead. The next moment, everyone was stunned, their pupils filled with shock.

On the horizon ahead, a massive ruin of an ancient city, after having its thick yellow sand swept away by the sandstorm, revealed its magnificent and vast silhouette!

It was a stretch of broken city walls that extended for an unknown number of miles, the walls reaching a hundred zhang in height. Even after being eroded by wind and sand for endless ages, they still exuded a desolate and heavy aura of iron and blood!

An ancient city that had been buried by yellow sand for endless years, just like that, appeared before them. Chapter 237

"This... how could there be a city here?" Sect Master Ba Dao widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief. In this desolate Gobi desert where even birds wouldn't dare to poop, such a magnificent ancient city was actually buried. It was truly too subversive to his cognition.

Chen Xu's gaze was equally shocked, but the throb in his heart was even stronger. The human emperor seal at his brow and the teleportation formation diagram compass in his Sea of Consciousness were both humming, guiding him to enter this ancient city. That aura of the same source of imperial Dao was coming from the depths of this ancient city.

"Let's go in and take a look, be on guard." Chen Xu ordered in a deep voice.

Everyone dared not delay, immediately gathering their focus and forming a defensive formation, cautiously passing through the long-collapsed huge city gate and stepping into this dead city that had been buried by yellow sand for endless ages.

Inside the city, there was deathly silence. The wide main road was covered with thick yellow sand, and most of the buildings on both sides had collapsed, leaving only broken Foundations and stone pillars. Occasionally, one could see some huge skeletons half-buried under the sand, not knowing if they were Yao Beasts or creatures of other races, emitting a faint pressure.

On both sides of the streets were scattered some fragments of weapons that had long rusted into unrecognizable shapes. Everything was telling the story that a battle of extreme tragedy had once taken place here.

"Father, the aura here... is so oppressive." Chen Daoxuan frowned, feeling that the flow of mana in his body had become somewhat sluggish.

"It is Evil Qi." Chen Xu's gaze was solemn. "Too many living beings have died in this city. Over endless ages, their resentment and Evil Qi have merged with the earth veins of this place, forming a natural dead zone."

"It is a dangerous place for us, but it is also the best place to hide." Even if the people of Tianyu Holy Land could find this place, under the interference of such dense Evil Qi, their Divine Sense would be greatly suppressed.

Everyone followed Chen Xu, walking through the city for nearly half an hour. Finally, they stopped in front of a relatively intact group of buildings. This seemed to be a general's mansion; although the main gate had collapsed, the main building was still relatively intact.

"Tonight, we will rest here." Chen Xu selected the place, and everyone immediately took action. Some were responsible for guarding, while others began to clear the sand and rubble in the mansion.

Soon, a clean side hall was cleared out. The nerves of everyone, which had been tense for a day and a night, finally relaxed for a moment at this moment.

Many people sat down directly against the wall, panting heavily, their faces full of exhaustion. From ascending from the Lower Realm to the life-and-death battle at the mine, and then to fleeing in the wilderness, the dangers experienced in this short day were more than they had experienced in their entire lives combined.

Bu Yifan and Qin Rouer took clean cloth and wound medicine, walking to Chen Xu's side with heartache. "Husband, you..." Qin Rouer looked at the wound on Chen Xu's back that had just healed but still left a hideous scar, and tears could not stop falling.

"Why are you crying? It's just a scratch." Chen Xu smiled and held their cold hands: "It's all in the past." The more nonchalant he acted, the more distressed the women felt.

After comforting his Family, Chen Xu summoned core members such as Chen Daoxuan, Murong Zhuyun, and Sect Master Ba Dao to the center of the main hall. In the dimly lit hall, a bonfire was lit, dispelling some of the cold.

Chen Xu's gaze swept over the tired yet still resolute faces, and he spoke slowly. "I know that everyone is feeling very stifled and angry inside."

A single sentence caused everyone present to have red eyes, clenching their fists tightly. Humiliation! Unprecedented humiliation!

They were once the Dominators of the Lower Realm, existences revered by billions of living beings. But upon arriving in this Spirit Realm, they were treated as slaves who could be bullied at will. They could not even control their own lives! If it weren't for Chen Xu turning the tide, their fate now would likely be even more miserable than death.

"But!" Chen Xu changed the topic, his voice becoming sonorous and powerful: "We have survived!" "As long as we are alive, there is hope! As long as we are alive, we will have a chance to pay back the humiliation we suffered today a hundredfold, a thousandfold in the future!"

He stood up, walked to the gate of the hall, and looked into the endless darkness of the city. "This is the Beiming Wilderness, the most chaotic and dangerous place in the entire Beiming Heavenly Domain."

"A zone where no one manages, a place where all kinds of people mingle, even a behemoth like Tianyu Holy Land cannot reach that far." "We are safe for the time being."

Hearing this, the heavy stone hanging in everyone's hearts finally fell halfway. Chen Daoxuan couldn't help but ask: "Father, will that Tianyu Holy Land..." He was worried about the clansmen in the Lower Realm.

Chen Xu seemed to know what he was going to ask, looked back at him, and smiled coldly. "They dare not." "When Upper Realm beings descend to the Lower Realm, they will be strongly suppressed by the Laws of the world. The higher the cultivation base, the more severe the suppression."

"If a Refining Void Mid-Stage Cultivator were to force their way to the Lower Realm, it would be good if they could exert the strength of the Early Nascent Soul Stage."

"As for the Lower Realm, your brother Chen Daochu is holding the fort, and it is protected by the Fifth-rank Purple Gold Imperial World-Suppressing Array that I personally set up."

"If they truly dare to send people down there, they are merely seeking their own deaths, just delivering themselves to our Chen Family on a platter!"

Chen Xu's voice was filled with immense self-confidence.

The Chen Family Holy Land he had personally built was no longer a soft persimmon that anyone could squeeze.

Upon hearing this, the last shred of worry in everyone's hearts vanished into thin air.

So it turned out that the Family Head had already paved the way for all of them!

"Then what about us now..." Sect Master Ba Dao asked in a muffled voice.

Everyone's gaze converged on Chen Xu.

They were like ships lost at sea right now, and Chen Xu was their only lighthouse.

Chen Xu turned around, and two flames ignited within his black eyes.

"The immediate priority now is to survive, and then, to become stronger!"

His voice was not loud, but it struck heavily upon everyone's hearts: "From today on, this city will be the new stronghold for our Chen Family in the Spirit Realm!"

"I will set up a great array here to reshape the environment of this place!"

"We will establish a Foundation here that is even stronger and more stable than the Holy Land in the Lower Realm!"

"And then..." A trace of killing intent flashed in Chen Xu's eyes: "Bide our time, improve our cultivation! Until we possess sufficient power, then we will slaughter our way back to Tianyu Holy Land, and reclaim everything they have inflicted upon us today, with interest!"

"What Tianyu Holy Land owes us must be repaid with blood!"

These words made everyone's blood boil. It felt as if their blood was about to burn!

The frustration and fear were swept away, replaced by towering Battle Intent and hope!

That's right! They did not come to the Spirit Realm to be slaves! They came to conquer!

"We swear to follow the Family Head (Alliance Master) to the death!" Inside the great hall, the shouts shook the heavens.

...Just as Chen Xu was planning the future for his Family within the Ancient Wilderness City, countless billions of miles away, at the Tianyu Holy Land, Mine No. 72.

The white plaza that symbolized the majesty of the Holy Land had now completely turned into ruins.

A bottomless giant crater occupied the center of the plaza. It was the mark left by a strike from a Void Refining Great Expert in their rage.

Around the giant crater, hundreds of corpses lay scattered about, some being mine slaves, others being Holy Land guards.

The air was filled with the thick scent of blood and something burnt.

Although the riot had been forcibly suppressed, the atmosphere of the entire mine was suppressed to the extreme.

Three old men wearing Daoist robes, with white hair and beards, were hovering above the giant crater. Their faces were so gloomy that water could drip from them. They were the three Void Refining Elders stationed here.

The Void Refining Middle Stage Elder in the center looked at the scene below, which resembled a purgatory, especially Lin Feng's headless corpse, and he was trembling all over with rage.

"A great humiliation! This is simply an unprecedented humiliation since the founding of our Tianyu Holy Land!"

The Elder with the most explosive temper roared angrily, his voice rolling like thunder, causing the entire ruin to tremble.

"An ant that ascended from the Lower Realm! To actually dare to slaughter a Holy Land deacon right in front of us, incite a mine slave riot, and then escape from right under our noses!"

"If this were to spread, where would the faces of the three of us, and the entire Tianyu Holy Land, be placed!"

Another Elder with a cold expression had a chilling light flashing in his eyes. "That brat's methods are too bizarre."

"That dark golden sword tip that can ignore Laws and tear through protective spiritual light, and that mountain-like seal capable of withstanding a strike from Senior Brother Lei, are definitely not items from the Lower Realm."

"Especially that Formation Plate he used to escape at the end; it was actually able to forcibly activate an ultra-long-distance teleportation while under our Divine Sense lock... There must be a great secret on this brat!"

His words caused the other two to calm down a little, but the killing intent in their eyes became even more intense. A treasure that could allow a Soul Transformation Late Stage Cultivator to erupt with such combat power, and even escape from the hands of three Void Refining Cultivators, was of immeasurable value!

"Hmph! So what if he has secrets? He fled into the Beiming Wilderness; does he think he can survive?" The leading Elder snorted coldly, his killing intent exposed in his eyes.

"The wilderness is fraught with crises; Void Refining Yao Beast kings, spatial rifts, ancient Restrictions... too numerous to count. For a severely injured Soul Transformation Cultivator, bringing a group of burdens, it would be a miracle if he could survive for three days!"

"But we cannot just let it go!" Speaking to this point, his voice suddenly turned cold.

"Lin Feng's death is not worth regretting, but the face of the Holy Land must never be lost! This matter is no longer something the three of us can handle!"

He spread his palm, and a Jade Slip flashing with cyan light appeared in it. "We must report this to the Spirit Mine Hall immediately! Request the Hall Master to make the decision personally!"

Hearing the three words "Spirit Mine Hall," the expressions of the other two Elders became solemn.

Tianyu Holy Land is divided into the Outer Sect, Inner Sect, and Core. The Spirit Mine Hall is a special department that is independent of the three sects but possesses immense power, specifically responsible for managing all matters of the 3,700 lower planes under the Holy Land's jurisdiction.

Harvesting spiritual slaves, mining spiritual ores, screening "ascenders"... It can be said that the Spirit Mine Hall is the fuel supply department for the massive war machine that is the Tianyu Holy Land, and its Hall Master is a genuine Integration Stage Great Expert!

Reporting this matter meant that it had risen from the death of a manager to a level that shook the Foundation of the Holy Land's rule!

The leading Elder did not hesitate at all; his Divine Sense surged into the Jade Slip, imprinting everything that happened here, including the speculation about Chen Xu's identity, the description of the treasures on him, and his final escape direction, down to the smallest detail.

"Reporting to the Hall Master, a major upheaval has occurred at Mine No. 72. A Sin Blood Realm Cultivator from the Lower Realm named Chen Xu, during his Ascension, slaughtered Deacon Lin Feng, incited a riot of tens of thousands of mine slaves, causing damage to the Foundation of the mine, and resulting in more than half of the guards being killed or injured."

"This brat possesses several treasures of unfathomable power, his combat capability far exceeds his cultivation stage, and he is suspected of having an ancient Legacy. He is now severely injured and has fled into the Beiming Wilderness."

"This subordinate is incompetent and failed to kill him on the spot; I ask the Hall Master to punish me!" Hum! As his voice fell, he violently crushed the Jade Slip. The Jade Slip turned into a stream of light, instantly tearing through the void and disappearing.

After doing all this, the leading Elder turned around and looked down at the mine slaves who had been re-controlled but still had unyielding flames flashing in their eyes. A trace of cruelty flashed in his eyes.

"Pass on my order!" "All those who participated in the riot are to have their Divine Souls destroyed and be refined into Soul Lamps, as a warning to others!"

Tianyu Holy Land. In the core area, a towering divine mountain floated above a sea of clouds. At the summit, spiritual mist swirled, cranes chirped in unison, and an ancient great hall stood quietly.

This place was the Spirit Mine Hall, which managed the Holy Land's 3,700 lower planes and possessed immense power.

Deep within the great hall, in an elegant quiet room, a middle-aged man wearing a white robe with cloud patterns and a refined appearance was sitting peacefully on a prayer mat.

He held a cup of clear tea in his hand, his movements unhurried. Every time he raised his hand and every time he sipped the tea, it seemed to be in harmony with the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.

He was the Spirit Mine Hall Master, Chen Qiao. A genuine Integration Stage Great Expert.

Just at this moment. Hum! The space in front of him suddenly rippled, and a cyan light tore through the void and appeared out of thin air. It was a communication Jade Slip, with the Divine Sense of the three Void Refining Elders remaining on it.

Chen Qiao's tea-sipping motion paused slightly. He lifted his eyelids, his calm gaze falling upon the Jade Slip, and his Divine Sense swept across it. Everything that happened at Mine No. 72, down to the smallest detail, flooded into his mind.

After reading it, the expression on his face did not change in the slightest. Only the hand holding the teacup paused for a moment in the air.

"Oh?" A soft sound of surprise escaped his lips, carrying a hint of astonishment.

He was not surprised by the death of a Soul Transformation Stage deacon, nor by the riot of tens of thousands of mine slaves. He had seen too many of these things in his long life.

What surprised him was that the culprit behind all this was merely a Soul Transformation Cultivator who had just ascended from the Lower Realm. An ant from the so-called "Sin Blood Realm."

Slashing a Heavenly Dao projection, withstanding a strike from a Void Refining Cultivator, inciting tens of thousands of mine slaves. And finally, successfully escaping under the Divine Sense lock of three Void Refining Cultivators. Interesting.

Chen Qiao put down the teacup, emitting a crisp, light sound. "Someone, come." His voice was not loud, but it clearly spread throughout the entire great hall.

The next moment, a Void Refining Cultivator wearing a deacon's black robe appeared silently at the entrance of the quiet room. He bowed respectfully. "What are your orders, Hall Master?"

"Go and investigate what kind of place this Sin Blood Realm is," Chen Qiao said indifferently.

"Yes." The deacon did not dare to be the slightest bit negligent and immediately withdrew.

In just over a dozen breaths of time, he returned again, with a pitch-black Jade Slip in his hand. "Reporting to the Hall Master, I have found it." The deacon bowed, presenting the Jade Slip with both hands.

"Sin Blood Realm, numbered Kun-733, is an abandoned cage plane used by our Holy Land three million years ago to exile the remnants of the Ancient Demon Clan."

"According to the records, the living beings there all have a trace of Demon Race blood flowing in their bodies, are naturally suppressed by the Heavenly Dao of that realm, and have a Sin Seal branded in their Divine Souls, making it impossible for them to break through to the Void Refining stage in their entire lives."

"Since the cage was established, there has never been any unusual movement, so it was gradually forgotten..."

Hearing the four words "Demon Race cage," a hint of realization appeared on Chen Qiao's calm, unruffled face. "The descendants of the Jailers, huh..."

He took the Jade Slip and his Divine Sense probed into it. He saw more information about the Sin Blood Realm.

"Reporting to the Hall Master, this person broke the cage Laws of the Sin Blood Realm yesterday, which attracted the attention of the Reception Hall. The Reception Hall thought his Aptitude was good and that he was a good seedling to be a spiritual mine slave, so they followed the custom and brought him up..." the deacon added cautiously.

"A good seedling..." Chen Qiao's lips curled up slightly, and he tapped the jade table in front of him lightly. That bunch of idiots in the Reception Hall, it really was their doing!

"Interesting, truly interesting."