Daily Divination From Market Rogue Cultivator To Immortal Venerable - Chapter 345

Chapter 345 Finally Entering the Secret Realm, the Nest of the Divine Bird Vermilion Bird (Seeking Subscriptions)

Cui Baihong laughed twice and turned to leave.

Behind him,

Mu Chen was furious, his eyes blazing with fire as he stared intently at him.

“Cui Baihong, hand over the spiritual herbs!”

He had spent a great deal of treasures to finally break through the formation, only to find that he hadn’t even obtained a single spiritual herb; Cui Baihong had taken them all.

How could he not be angry?

Although the two had plotted together against Li Chang’an, that was a thing of the past.

They were inherently enemies, and their brief alliance was purely due to having the same enemy.

Cui Baihong smiled and said, “Fellow Daoist Mu, these aren’t your spiritual herbs, but those from an ancient ruin.”

“You’re courting death!”

Mu Chen was enraged and chased after several Vermilion Bird Sect Holy Sons.

The other Vermilion Bird Holy Sons were equally furious.

Although Cui Baihong was strong, they were not weak either, and they wouldn’t just stand by and watch him take the spiritual herbs away.

Seeing that they couldn’t catch up…

One of them, his face hardening, directly used a fourth-tier trump card.

“Crack!”

He crushed a jade talisman.

In an instant,

the power of the Nascent Soul transformed into a storm, sweeping across the heavens and earth.

Li Chang’an had no choice but to stop Cui Baihong, also using a fourth-tier technique to block the storm.

In this brief pause,

Mu Chen and the others had caught up, forming an encirclement.

Five powerful disciples of the Vermilion Bird Sect, each with considerable strength and fourth-tier trump cards, their auras intertwined, blocking Cui Baihong’s path.

Mu Chen shouted, “Cui Baihong, are you truly unwilling to hand over the spiritual medicine?”

Cui Baihong sneered, “On the path of cultivation, how can one not fight? My cultivation resources have always been obtained through struggle. If you are not satisfied, you are welcome to attack!”

Hearing this, the others laughed in fury.

“Very well!”

“Cui Baihong, since you like to fight so much, today we’ll let you fight to your heart’s content!”

“I want to see how you can withstand the combined attack of the five of us!”

Mu Chen and the others knew Cui Baihong’s personality well, so they stopped wasting words and immediately joined forces to deal with him.

Although they were not spirits, any one of them could pose a threat to Cui Baihong.

The five of them working together directly overwhelmed Cui Baihong.

In just a short while ,

Cui Baihong was seriously injured.

“That’s enough. I can’t die here. I need to let more outsiders see this.”

Li Chang’an used an escape treasure from Cui Baihong’s storage bag to break through the encirclement of the five and rush towards the area with more people.

For the next two quarters of an hour,

he fought against five people, retreating as he fought.

The roar of the white tiger echoed throughout the secret realm and was heard by countless cultivators.

“As expected of the Holy Son Cui who has awakened the White Tiger spirit body, he can actually fight against five people and not be at a disadvantage.”

“What do you mean not at a disadvantage? He was clearly being beaten and running around!”

The disciples of the two sects exchanged insults, and many also clashed.

Not long after,

the news reached Mu Hongyu’s ears.

“Mu Chen fought Cui Baihong?”

Mu Hongyu frowned slightly.

Although she disliked Mu Chen’s actions, he was ultimately a member of the Vermilion Bird Sect.

After a moment’s thought, she transformed into a streak of light and rushed to the area where the news had come from.

But before she even arrived,

she heard a shocking piece of news.

“Cui Baihong is dead?”

“Yes!”

A Vermilion Bird Sect disciple told her.

Although Cui Baihong was strong, he was ultimately no match for the five Vermilion Bird Saint Sons.

In the end,

he exhausted his fourth-tier trump cards and treasures, his mana depleted, fighting until he was completely exhausted.

With the assistance of the other four Saint Sons,

Mu Chen successfully beheaded Cui Baihong!

“Cui Baihong actually died at Mu Chen’s hands.”

This news was so astonishing that Mu Hongyu couldn’t believe it for a moment.

She had fought Cui Baihong for many years.

Their strength was nearly equal, and they had never gained the upper hand.

She had originally thought that both she and Cui Baihong could reach the Nascent Soul realm and continue their struggle, even having their disciples fight generation after generation.

But now,

Mu Chen had actually killed this formidable enemy.

…

Meanwhile, in another area,

Mu Chen’s aura was disordered, and he was somewhat disheveled, but his face was full of smiles.

“Hahaha, so what if he’s a spirit? I still killed him!”

He held Cui Baihong’s head and laughed loudly.

This battle, though costly, was all worthwhile.

It should be known that many people already regarded Cui Baihong as the future True Lord of the White Tiger Sect.

Now, this formidable enemy of the Vermilion Bird Sect, who should have become a True Lord, had died at his hands.

“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Mu!”

The other four Holy Sons congratulated him one after another, their faces filled with envy.

They also wanted to kill Cui Baihong.

But their strength was ultimately a step weaker than Mu Chen’s, allowing Mu Chen to gain this honor.

At this moment,

beneath the earth,

Cui Baihong’s soul stared at Mu Chen with a furious expression.

“A petty person who has gained power! If I were to fight him one-on-one, I would surely kill him!”

“Fellow Daoist Cui, how many opportunities for one-on-one battles are there in this world? The cultivation world is inherently full of unfairness.”

Li Chang’an said to him with a smile.

Everything today

was naturally arranged by him.

Even the spirit herb garden that Mu Chen and the others opened was arranged in advance by him.

The entire process unfolded perfectly   according to his calculations, without the slightest flaw. “Fellow Daoist Cui, you fought five against one and died a valiant death. What do you think of that?”

“So be it. At least I didn’t die a humiliating death.”

Cui Baihong sighed and flew into the Soul Banner.

Inside the banner,

he saw the souls of Gu Yunqi, Wei Xu, and the others.

Thinking of their deaths, he felt much better.

Outside the banner,

Li Chang’an quietly departed.

He knew very well that Cui Baihong’s death would cause quite a stir.

Therefore, he didn’t go directly to Mu Hongyu, intending to wait for the storm to pass.

…

The next day.

Just as Li Chang’an had predicted,

a battle between Nascent Soul True Monarchs erupted in the ancient secret realm.

White Tiger True Monarch attacked, intending to kill Mu Chen to avenge Cui Baihong.

Vermilion Bird True Monarch appeared and blocked him.

The battle between the two was earth-shattering, causing the entire secret realm to tremble.

After this battle, countless ancient ruins vanished completely, turning into a cloud of dust.

Finally,

the White Tiger True Lord departed.

The Vermilion Bird True Lord publicly praised Mu Chen, bestowing upon him many precious treasures.

At this moment,

Mu Chen was radiant, the center of attention, and full of pride.

However, his good mood lasted only a few days.

One evening,

the White Tiger True Lord, disregarding all pretense, attacked him, a junior Golden Core cultivator, once again.

“White Tiger True Lord, have you no shame?”

Mu Chen was both shocked and furious, forced to use the life-saving item given to him by the Vermilion Bird True Lord to barely hold off the White Tiger True Lord.

Before his treasures were exhausted,

the Vermilion Bird True Lord arrived in time, and another great battle erupted between them.

This battle also ended in a draw.

The White Tiger True Lord departed.

“That old bastard is finally gone.”

Mu Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The opponent was, after all, a Nascent Soul True Lord; having failed twice in succession, he shouldn’t dare to attack a third time.

However…

As it turned out, he had underestimated Cui Baihong’s standing in the eyes of the White Tiger True Monarch.

Just a few days later,

the White Tiger True Monarch struck for the third time!

This time,

Mu Chen exhausted all his treasures, his life hanging by a thread, desperately fleeing, nearly being annihilated.

Fortunately, the Vermilion Bird True Monarch intervened in time, saving his mangled body and keeping him alive.

That very night,

the Vermilion Bird True Monarch spent a great deal of treasures to pull Mu Chen back from the brink of death.

“Take good care of your injuries. Stay within the sect from now on and don’t go out again for the time being.”

“Yes.”

Mu Chen was unwilling, but there was nothing he could do.

Through these three attacks, he had realized that

the White Tiger True Monarch would not stop until he was completely killed.

After learning of his ordeal,

the other four Vermilion Bird Sect Holy Sons couldn’t help but feel fortunate.

“Fortunately, I was a fraction too slow that day and didn’t have time to kill Cui Baihong.”

“Yes, thank goodness it wasn’t me.”

They were all somewhat fearful.

If it had been them, they would probably have already died at the hands of the White Tiger True Monarch.

Who could have imagined

that the Nascent Soul expert, True Monarch White Tiger, would be so shameless as to attack a mere Golden Core junior several times in a row?   …

Li   Chang’an had anticipated this.

“Back then, True Monarch White Tiger disregarded his status and came to Changqing Mountain to seize the opportunity of a rogue Golden Core cultivator like myself.”

At that time,

Li Chang’an realized

that reputation meant nothing to True Monarch White Tiger.

“This True Monarch’s skin is probably thicker than many people imagine.”

Li Chang’an’s lips curled slightly; his decision to have Mu Chen take the blame was quite correct.

If Cui Baihong’s death had been shrouded in mystery,

True Monarch White Tiger would likely have spared no effort to investigate and kill all those who opposed Cui Baihong, including Li Chang’an.

Now, he sat firmly on Changqing Mountain, letting the outside world change as it pleased.

Time flew by.

Soon, a month had passed.

The turmoil surrounding Cui Baihong’s death gradually subsided.

Li Chang’an quietly left Changqing Mountain and found Mu Hongyu deep within the ancient ruins.

He took out the three treasures and said to her, “Fellow Daoist Mu, the treasures are complete. When can I enter the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm?”

“What?”

Mu Hongyu looked surprised.

Each item on the list was rare and exceptional.

She never imagined Li Chang’an could collect three so quickly.

“Phoenix Blood Grass, Fire Cloud Crystal, and Fourth-Order Crimson Fire Sparrow Essence Blood—they are indeed treasures on the list.”

Looking at these three treasures, Mu Hongyu’s astonishment deepened.

She took a deep breath and said to Li Chang’an, “Fellow Daoist Li, I will bring these three treasures back to the sect and will give you an answer soon.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Mu.”

Li Chang’an bowed in thanks.

Afterward, he returned to Changqing Mountain, awaiting Mu Hongyu’s reply.

Half a month later.

Mu Hongyu contacted him through her communication jade pendant.

“Fellow Daoist Li, the two True Monarchs and many elders have agreed to this matter, allowing you to enter the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm, but with a one-month time limit.”

“A time limit?”

Li Chang’an frowned.

Those old fogies of the Vermilion Bird Sect were going too far.

They hadn’t mentioned a time limit when they asked him to collect the treasures.

Now that he had finally gathered three treasures, this additional restriction was clearly a further attempt to make things difficult for him.

If the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm was too vast, or if there were too many traps and obstacles outside the Ancient Wood Cave, a month would likely not be enough.

Li Chang’an asked, “Fellow Daoist Mu, you didn’t mention a time limit before, but now you’re bringing it up again. It’s clearly a breach of promise. Who first proposed the time limit?”

“It was another True Monarch from my Vermilion Bird Sect, True Monarch Canghong. He refused to let outsiders enter the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm, but fortunately, my master persuaded him.”

“True Monarch Canghong? Good, I understand.”

Li Chang’an remembered this person.

Now, he had no other choice but to agree.

He had to bow his head under the eaves.

After all, he needed the Vermilion Bird Sect’s help.

“Fellow Daoist Mu, a month is too short. I’m worried it won’t be enough. Could you tell me more about the situation inside the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm?”

“Fellow Daoist Li, please come to the Vermilion Bird Sect first. I also want to enter the secret realm.”

“Okay!”

Li Chang’an immediately packed his things and headed to the Vermilion Bird Sect.

On the way,

Mu Hongyu informed him.

Her reason for entering the Vermilion Bird Sect was to help a junior sister with her trials.

That junior sister was the newly appointed Holy Maiden of the Vermilion Bird Sect.

The Vermilion Bird Sect’s trials were simple, far less complex than the Azure Wood Divine Tower of the Great Qi Immortal Dynasty, but she was still worried and planned to accompany her personally.

Ten days later.

Li Chang’an arrived at the Vermilion Bird Sect.

Inside the sect’s gate, he met Mu Hongyu and the junior sister she had mentioned.

“Fellow Daoist Li, this is my junior sister, Ning Mengwei.”

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Ning.”

Li Chang’an bowed respectfully.

Ning Mengwei’s temperament was somewhat similar to Mu Hongyu’s.

She too wore crimson armor, her aura was fiery, her red hair flowed freely, and her cultivation had reached the late Golden Core stage.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li.”

Ning Mengwei returned the greeting, her voice clear and crisp.

After they introduced themselves,

Mu Hongyu began to explain the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm to Li Chang’an.

The Vermilion Bird Secret Realm was named “Vermilion Bird” not because of the Vermilion Bird Sect, but because of a massive Vermilion Bird Nest within the realm.

The Vermilion Bird Nest was a complex and perilous place.

Ning Mengwei’s trial grounds were located within it.

“Fellow Daoist Li, perhaps the place you want to go is also within the Vermilion Bird Nest,”

Mu Hongyu said without inquiring about Li Chang’an’s specific purpose.

She handed him a jade slip

containing a map of the entire Vermilion Bird Secret Realm.

Li Chang’an took the jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the map’s entirety.

The Vermilion Bird Secret Realm wasn’t large.

A month was enough time for him to fly there and back.

…

The next day.

The three of them arrived together at the entrance to the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm.

According to the rules of the Vermilion Bird Sect, they should all undergo inspection by a True Monarch-level expert.

However, the Vermilion Bird True Monarch turned a blind eye and didn’t inspect Li Chang’an, letting him pass directly, only requiring him to walk through the fourth-tier Breaking Illusion Treasure.

“Thank you, Senior!”

Li Chang’an immediately expressed his gratitude.

The Vermilion Bird True Monarch had helped him a great deal in entering this secret realm.

Vermilion Bird True Lord waved his hand and said calmly, “Go in, don’t disappoint my disciple.”

“Yes!”

Li Chang’an immediately transformed into a streak of light and flew into the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm.

In an instant,

a scorching aura rushed towards him.

This heat was different from that of the Fire Cloud Secret Realm; it was mixed with a dense demonic energy.

Before Li Chang’an lay a fiery red world.

The sky was crimson, as if burning.

The earth was cracked, and from the fissures spewed forth streams of earth fire of varying grades.

Li Chang’an took a simple breath, and the scorching heat surged into his body, as if to incinerate him from the inside out.

“No wonder it’s the nesting place of the Vermilion Bird.”

The Vermilion Bird was a legendary divine bird.

A secret realm chosen by such a divine bird to build its nest was naturally full of wonders.

Li Chang’an quietly took out four keys, infused them with his magic power, and carefully sensed them.

“The location of the Ancient Wood Cave is deep within this secret realm.”

He looked into the distance with deep eyes.

Deep within the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm, there was only the enormous Vermilion Bird Nest, which was also Ning Mengwei’s trial site.

Mu Hongyu informed him, “Fellow Daoist Li, my junior sister and I are preparing to go to the Vermilion Bird Nest. Would you like to come with us?”

“Let’s go together.”

Li Chang’an nodded.

He was unfamiliar with the place, and following Mu Hongyu, the Vermilion Bird Saintess, was the best choice.

And so, the three of them ventured together into this fiery red secret realm.

Ten days later,

a towering Vermilion Bird Nest, tens of thousands of feet high, appeared before Li Chang’an.

The entire Vermilion Bird Nest exuded an indescribable oppressive aura; just a glance was enough to make him feel considerable pressure.

The spiritual wood used to build the nest was all crimson, each piece shimmering with spiritual light, clearly high-grade treasures.

Even with Li Chang’an’s current knowledge, he couldn’t recognize these spiritual woods.

Mu Hongyu informed him, “Outside the Vermilion Bird Nest, there is an invisible array, at least of the fifth rank. Although we can enter, we must never attempt to take any of the spiritual wood used to build the nest, or we will be bombarded by the array.”

Clearly, the Vermilion Bird Sect’s predecessors had already tried to take the treasure,

but the results were all unfavorable.

The Vermilion Bird Nest was also fraught with danger.

Numerous fire-elemental demonic beasts roamed the area.

Furthermore,

various illusions frequently appeared.

Mu Hongyu said to Li Chang’an, “Fellow Daoist Li, these illusions are tests of a cultivator’s divine sense. If one’s divine sense is strong, one can quickly see through them.”

She said this to warn Li Chang’an.

Normally,

a cultivator’s divine sense grows along with their cultivation level.

The stronger the cultivation, the stronger the divine sense.

Among the three, Mu Hongyu was the strongest, already at the peak of the Golden Core stage.

Her junior sister, Ning Mengwei, also had a late-stage Golden Core cultivation.

Only Li Chang’an was weaker, only at the early Golden Core stage, and his divine sense was likely not very strong, making it difficult to deal with the many illusions in the Vermilion Bird’s Nest.

“Fellow Daoist Li, although you have treasures to protect your divine sense, the illusions in the Vermilion Bird’s Nest are very peculiar. They are not meant to attack you, but rather to make you succumb to them. Your treasures may be useless.”

“Thank you for informing me, Fellow Daoist Mu.”

Li Chang’an was not worried.

What he relied on was not his treasures, but his divine sense, which surpassed the limits of the third rank.

Mu Hongyu’s spiritual sense wasn’t strong; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been injured by Ye Feng’s spiritual sense technique from the Five Poisons Valley.

Even she could emerge from the Vermilion Bird Nest, so Li Chang’an naturally could too.

At this moment, Ning Mengwei also said, “Fellow Daoist Li, if you want to enter the Vermilion Bird Nest, stay close to me and Senior Sister Mu, and don’t act alone.”

“Alright.”

After some discussion,

the three of them passed through the great array protecting the Vermilion Bird Nest and entered its interior.

Inside the Vermilion Bird Nest were countless crisscrossing spiritual trees forming intricate passageways.

Li Chang’an sensed that the Ancient Tree Cave was not far away.

It was just ahead!

He and Mu Hongyu ventured deeper together.

Before even reaching the cave, a strange illusion suddenly assailed them.

In this illusion, Li Chang’an obtained countless opportunities, grew rapidly, broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, and hundreds of years later became a Divine Transformation Heavenly Lord, overlooking the entire cultivation world.

He wasn’t captivated; he almost immediately realized it was an illusion. However, wanting to experience the illusory power of the Nascent Soul and Deity Transformation stages, he didn’t wake up immediately and lingered a little longer.

Before he could finish his experience,

he heard Mu Hongyu’s worried voice in his ear.

“Fellow Daoist Li, wake up quickly!”

(End of Chapter)