161: Chapter 191 Huge Upgrade

Above the main gate, a massive plaque hung high, with four large characters inscribed: "Taiqing Immortal Realm." The calligraphy was fluid and vigorous, revealing an endless Daoist charm.

Stepping through the palace gates, an open square unfolded before his eyes. The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, carved with ancient runes and Dao patterns that shimmered with a faint light.

In the center of the square stood a massive bronze incense burner. Wisps of smoke rose and diffused through the air, emitting a quiet, elegant fragrance that instantly calmed the Soul.

In front of that bronze incense burner, a Daoist sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, speaking eloquently as he explained the Daoist laws.

Below him, thousands of Disciples sat on the ground, listening to the lecture with extremely pious expressions!

Jiang Ling wanted to step inside, but he found himself blocked by a layer of golden light, making it impossible to enter.

"Is this... truly the residence of an Immortal?"

"Are these people Immortals?"

"No, they are not Immortals!"

"They are just a projection!"

"In the past, there must have been a real Immortal lecturing here, and for some reason, it was projected out!"

...

Standing before this golden light, Jiang Ling watched the scene of an Immortal lecturing from countless millennia ago, his heart truly shaken.

But soon, he realized!

This was a massive Opportunity!

An Immortal lecturing—this wasn't something one could encounter often!

Thus, Jiang Ling immediately sat down to meditate, listening to the Immortal's lecture and comprehending the Daoist laws and Divine Abilities within.

Although the Immortal's language was ancient and profoundly obscure, making it difficult for modern people to understand...

...the Immortal's Voice of the Great Dao carried the power of an epiphany, capable of pouring into the listener's mind through spiritual means.

This allowed Jiang Ling to listen to the Immortal's lecture without any difficulty in understanding!

At first, the Immortal's words were like a gurgling stream in the mountains, peaceful and soothing, recounting the mysteries of Chaos when the world first opened, and the Origin power contained within the Grandmist.

Jiang Ling listened intently, every word etched into his heart like a brand. With his eyes slightly closed, he strove to construct the ancient and grand scenes described by the Immortal in his mind, as if he himself were within that Chaos, feeling its endless mystery.

As the lecture deepened, the Immortal's speed gradually increased, his tone became impassioned, and the content grew even more profound and inscrutable—from the mutual generation and inhibition of the Five Elements to the balance and transformation of Yin and Yang, and from the orbital paths of the stars to the mysterious fluctuations of fate.

Jiang Ling felt his thinking being constantly pulled and expanded; fine beads of sweat gradually broke out on his forehead, a sign of his brain functioning at high speed and exerting itself to comprehend.

At particularly exquisite points, the Immortal would occasionally pause and lightly tap the Void Realm with the Horsetail Whisk in his hand. Miraculous images would then manifest: a surging fire Dragon, the vast changes of the world over eons, or a mysterious star map array. Every image contained a profound Daoist charm. Jiang Ling and the Immortal's Disciples were all entranted, some unable to stop themselves from letting out gasps of amazement.

During the listening process, Jiang Ling would sometimes fall into deep thought, and at other times, an expression of sudden realization would appear on his face.

He felt the spiritual energy within his body also begin to circulate involuntarily along with his comprehension of the Dao, rushing and flowing through his Meridians as if cheering with joy.

His Soul seemed to be washed and sublimated at this moment, and many doubts encountered in his previous Cultivation gradually found clues to their answers within the Immortal's lecture.

Time passed unknowingly. The Immortal lectured for a full three days and nights, and Jiang Ling listened for three days and nights, motionless like a statue.

When the Immortal's final word fell, the entire Daoist field sank into silence. Only then did the crowd slowly return to their senses from that endless Daoist Realm.

Jiang Ling also slowly opened his eyes. A golden light burst from his pupils, flickering with the radiance of endless wisdom.

"Ding! Your Yuqing Divine Thunder has reached Major Achievement!"

"Ding! Your Rank has reached Level 46, 53.785%!"

The System's notification sounded.

Jiang Ling stood up and noticed many people and mutated beasts around him who had also been listening; clearly, they had also obtained some Opportunities.

But compared to Jiang Ling, they certainly couldn't be mentioned in the same breath.

Jiang Ling's Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability played a massive role at this moment. It was already good if others could comprehend ten or twenty percent of these profound Daoist laws, but Jiang Ling dared to say he had comprehended one hundred percent.

These Daoist laws gave Jiang Ling a brand-new understanding of the entire world and the Cultivation System, breaking his previous knowledge frameworks and transforming him into a new self.

Although his Realm had only increased by one level, his actual strength had improved by dozens or even a hundredfold.

In the next moment, the golden light curtain suddenly vanished, and the original Immortal Realm instantly turned into nothingness.

Everything seemed as if it had never happened, leaving people's spirits in a daze.

It was unknown when such a situation would occur again; this time, they could be said to have encountered a heavenly Opportunity.

With the Immortal Realm gone, everyone's gaze began to fall on the people around them.

Sure enough, besides the Martial Artists from the Great Xia Nation and the White Elephant Country, there were also many Martial Artists from other nations or organizations mixed in.

Jiang Ling even saw Ryūsei Hyōsetsu, who had just fled, and that Sixth-Tier Martial Artist.

"The lecture is over!"

"Next, it's time to deal with these intruders!"

A cold light flashed through Jiang Ling's eyes.

"This Kunlun Ruins Secret Realm is jointly developed by our Great Xia Nation and the White Elephant Country. What is your Origin? How dare you intrude into our Great Xia's territory?"

"Today, I shall ensure you have no return, letting you know the heavenly might of my Great Xia Nation."

...

"Haha..."

A Sixth-Tier Martial Artist let out a wild laugh, his face full of disdain and contempt. "Who do you think you are, Zhao Kailai?"

"The treasures in this Secret Realm belong to those who are capable."

"On what grounds do you forbid us from entering?"

"On these grounds!" Jiang Ling snorted, and the thunder on his body suddenly erupted.

At this moment, Jiang Ling's body was filled with a destructive aura.

The Major Achievement of the Yuqing Divine Thunder, combined with the gains Jiang Ling had obtained from the Immortal's lecture, allowed his strength to already crush an ordinary Sixth-Tier Martial Artist!

That Sixth-Tier Martial Artist was suddenly shocked; he hadn't expected a fourth-Rank Martial Artist to be able to erupt with such world-destroying power.

Over there, Ryūsei Hyōsetsu and the Island Country's Sixth-Tier Martial Artist were even more shocked.

Jiang Ling had only just finished fighting them not long ago, yet his strength had undergone such a terrifying evolution. If they had encountered the current Jiang Ling before, they absolutely would not have been able to escape.

"Go!"

Ryūsei Hyōsetsu and that Sixth-Tier Island Country Martial Artist turned and ran without hesitation, not daring to stay for a single second.