Chapter 1062: Entering the Grand Change Realm
“What’s the Underground Abyss? Is everyone allowed to enter? Also, who could use Xi’er as a sealing tool in the Underground Abyss?” Ning Cheng asked again.
The Grand Change Realm was the first among the five Grand Realms and a realm with complete worldly laws. One could only imagine how many powerful beings lived in the Grand Change Realm. If he wanted to enter the Underground Abyss, he first needed to figure out what kind of place it was and whom he might have to face.
Xixi gathered her thoughts before she spoke, “I heard that the Underground Abyss appeared after the Great Catastrophe in the Five Grand Realms. Only the Grand Change Realm remained intact, while the other four were reduced to fragments with their worldly laws shattered. From what I know, the Underground Abyss suddenly appeared in the westernmost corner of the Grand Change Realm just after the Great Catastrophe.”
“At first, the Underground Abyss was just a gathering of low-levelled demonic creatures formed from the acc.u.mulation of impurities. Some cultivators then used the Underground Abyss to try their luck. From what was recorded, these demonic creatures thrived in impure places, absorbing the area’s impure and filth-filled aura. However, they also produced a special kind of pure demonic crystals, which contained clear worldly laws, which some people used to cultivate higher levels of dao rhythms and thus advance their cultivation. Because of this, the higher-grade demonic crystals from the Underground Abyss started to get compared with dao fruits, becoming precious beyond compare.”
“No one took care of these subterranean demonic creatures?”
Xixi shook her head, “At the beginning, some powerful experts did go in and explore, but they quickly discovered that these demonic creatures posed no threat. Moreover, the laws in those demonic crystals were quite low-level, at least not enough to attract powerhouses, so they stopped paying attention. However, after many years, those creatures grew stronger and eventually broke out to the surface, nearly destroying a Dao Court.”
“It was only in that situation that powerful experts decided to enter the Underground Abyss to suppress those creatures. I didn’t know how they suppressed them until I saw Sister Xi’s body nailed to the blood pillar in the Underground Abyss. Only then did I understand how brutal that seal was…….”
At this point, Xixi couldn’t hold back her tears and started crying again.
Ning Cheng couldn’t help but sigh in his heart. He hadn’t witnessed the pitiful state of Xi’er being nailed to the blood pillar to suppress those creatures, but he could imagine how tragic it might have been. He also thought about the time he saw Pan Qian. Pan Qian had been sealed within the void, constantly drained of his blood. He wondered if Pan Qian and Xi’er suffered at the hands of the same person.
It took a while before Xi’er managed to calm down, “After the powerful creatures were suppressed, only some low-level ones remained outside the blood pillars. The powerhouses of the Grand Change Realm then opened it again to people so that they could challenge these creatures to enhance the strength of the Grand Change Realms while also suppressing the outbreak of those underground abyss creatures.”
“As for who used Sister Xi’er’s body to seal them, I don’t know. I don’t think any of the major Dao Courts did it, but it could be the work of the major clans. After all, when our Giant Clan was in trouble, Sister Xi’er helped save Big Brother Pan Qian and me. I can’t say if someone else found out about it.”
“Xixi, what are Dao Courts? Are they a force?” Ning Cheng asked, puzzled by Xixi mentioning Dao Courts twice.
Xixi answered in great detail, “You can consider Dao Courts as forces. The most powerful forces in the Grand Change Realm are the Five Great Dao Courts and the Three Great Dao Sects. Besides them, only the Pill Union, the Artefact Guild, and the Seven Divine Halls[1] can be compared to these places.”
Knowing that Ning Cheng had no understanding of the Grand Change Realm, Xixi continued to explain after she finished. “These Five Great Dao Courts refer to the Cloud Light Dao Court, the Clear Jade Dao Court, the Treasured Stone Dao Court, the Jade Flower Dao Court, and the Great Mysterious Dao Court. As for the Three Great Sects, they refer to the Br.i.m.m.i.n.g Universe Dao Sect, the Thousand Buddha Sacred Dao Sect, and the Formless Dao Sect. The Dao Courts and Dao Sects are similar, but the former occupies a far larger area. Moreover, each Dao Court and Dao Sect has a Dao Monarch, supported by many powerful Holy Emperors. In addition, they also have a large army of cultivators. However, apart from the size, the main difference is that a Dao Court is like a separate realm, with countless sects and clans lining up underneath, while a Dao Sect is a single ent.i.ty.”
Ning Cheng quickly understood what ‘Dao Court’ meant, an ent.i.ty similar to the Heavenly Court of ancient China.
Since they were forces similar to the Heavenly Court, those five Dao Courts in the Grand Change Realm must also have conflicts among them.
“Do these five Dao Courts often fight with each other?” Ning Cheng asked immediately when he thought of it. As long as there were fights, it could work to his advantage. What he feared the most was a unilateral front, as it would make it much more difficult for him to act.
Although he asked Xixi, Ning Cheng already felt certain there would be conflicts. Wherever there were rivers and lakes, there would always be people. This saying was applicable everywhere.
“Yes, there are often fights between the five Great Dao Courts and between the Dao Courts and the Dao Sects. On the contrary, the Pill Union and the Artefact Guild rarely conflict with these forces. They also enjoy good relations with most Dao Courts and Dao Sects.” Xixi nodded in response.
After their conversation, Ning Cheng learned enough information about the Grand Change Realm. However, Xixi’s knowledge was from ten thousand years ago. Whether the current situation in the Grand Change Realm was the same as it was back then, Xixi couldn’t say for sure.
Ning Cheng also consciously chose not to ask Kong Lianbo, the Deputy Union Master of the Grand Change Realm’s Pill Union, which had many entanglements with the Dao Courts and the Dao Sects. Speaking with Kong Lianbo regarding these matters might not be a wise choice.
……
Three days pa.s.sed by in a flash, and Kong Lianbo, along with several other Union Masters, brought a mult.i.tude of alchemists partic.i.p.ating in the Five Grand Realms’ Alchemy Compet.i.tion to the teleportation array leading to the Grand Change Realm.
“The Five Grand Realms’ Alchemy Compet.i.tion has always been a grand event in our five grand realms. Although many fellow Daoists here are aware of the high-level spatial laws of the teleportation array from the Five Grand Realms’ Void Market to the Grand Change Realm, I still want to remind you about it before the teleportation. Do not bring extra people through the teleportation formation in your miniature world or true spirit world. If such a thing happens, your miniature world or your True Spirit World would collapse and shatter to dust. The people inside would also not be lucky enough to survive.” Before boarding the teleportation formation, Kong Lianbo still took the time to remind them about the consequences.
The alchemists here were all experienced in worldly affairs; as such, they weren’t foolish enough to believe that they could sneak people from other worlds into the Grand Change Realm through the teleportation formation here.
Ning Cheng, however, didn’t care about it. Even if the spatial laws governing this teleportation formation were much higher, they couldn’t be higher than the laws of his Mysterious Yellow Bead. Yan Ji was in his Mysterious Yellow Bead, so it would not affect them. As for Xixi, Kong Lianbo had given permission to bring her along through the teleportation formation, so there was no need to worry about her.
As the Deputy Union Master of the Grand Change Realm’s Pill Union, Kong Lianbo had that privilege.
More than a hundred alchemists were waiting to be teleported in front of the teleportation array, not including the alchemists from the Grand Change Realm partic.i.p.ating in the Five Grand Realms’ Alchemy Compet.i.tion. Apart from the Grand Essence Realm, which only had six partic.i.p.ants, the smallest Grand Pinnacle Realm had twelve partic.i.p.ants. The Grand Origination Realm and the Grand Beginning Realm had 30 to 40 partic.i.p.ants each. As for the Grand Change Realm, from what Ning Cheng had heard, they brought over a hundred alchemists to partic.i.p.ate in the Five Grand Realms’ Alchemy Compet.i.tion.
After everyone boarded the teleportation formation, Kong Lianbo took out two formation flags and activated them. A loud road suddenly erupted from the surroundings, and the teleportation formation activated, with the edges flashing with ebony light. Before the teleportation even started, Ning Cheng and the others could acutely feel the fabric of s.p.a.ce collapsing around them.
As the light receded, the spatial collapse swept away the crowd.
Even Ning Cheng felt drowsy after teleporting such a long distance despite his experience with long-distance teleportation arrays. It’s just that he had already arrived at the Grand Change Realm when he opened his eyes.
As a formidable and flawless aura of laws of the Grand Change Realm washed over them, Ning Cheng immediately sensed some flaws in the divine abilities he had comprehended before. It was a feeling that couldn’t be expressed in words – it was the aura of worldly laws. Ning Cheng had no idea if the worldly laws of the Grand Change Realm were complete and flawless, as people mentioned, but he understood that they were far more complete than the worldly laws of the Grand Essence Realm.
After all the alchemists had stepped out of the teleportation array, Kong Lianbo took out an airship and said, “Fellow Daoists, the Five Grand Realms’ Alchemy Compet.i.tion will be held in the Grand Change Alchemy City, which does not belong to any Dao Court. You can visit the Grand Change Alchemy City with me or travel alone; it’s entirely up to you. However, you must come to the Grand Change Alchemy City in three months for the Alchemy Compet.i.tion.”
Ning Cheng hurriedly said, “Union Master Kong, my friend has to return home to have a look. I won’t go to the Grand Change Alchemy City for now, but I will return to partic.i.p.ate in the compet.i.tion within three months.”
“Okay.” Kong Lianbo replied with a smile. He had a favourable impression of Ning Cheng.
After expressing his grat.i.tude, Ning Cheng said his goodbyes to Sichen Qiutian and Lu Dongze before quickly leaving with Xixi.
The teleportation array that brought them to the Grand Change Realm from the Five Grand Realms’ Void Market was established in the Abyssal Sacred Dao City of the Grand Change Realm. Like the Grand Change Alchemy City, the Abyssal Sacred Dao City didn’t belong to any Dao Courts or the Dao Sects. It was a neutral city, but because of this, it wasn’t quite prosperous. Most people quickly left after arriving here, merely using it as a temporary resting place. From what Xixi said, the Abyssal Sacred Dao City"s divine essence was thin and difficult to gather. Therefore, very few people were willing to live in this place permanently.
Ning Cheng took out an airship and brought Xixi to quickly leave the Abyssal Sacred Dao City and truly step into the Grand Change Realm.
Only then did Ning Cheng understand the meaning of Pan Qian’s words from back then. Pan Qian had not explored the Grand Change Realm. Rather, he didn’t dare to explore it due to his situation. Therefore, the impression of the Grand Change Realm in Pan Qian’s eyes was all from Xi’er’s words.
In his eyes, the Grand Change Realm was filled with pure and dense divine essence, with natural dao rhythms and treasures everywhere, making it a wonderful paradise for cultivators.
Ning Cheng didn’t see any treasures, but the divine essence was indeed many notches in quality above that found in the Grand Essence Realm. Not only was the divine essence pure and dense, but the vastness of the worldly laws also felt even more refreshing. And this was where the divine essence was spread thin in Xixi’s words and where few people came.
“This place is a cultivator’s paradise.” Ning Cheng spoke out with emotion as he thought of this. In his heart, he was already thinking about the five powerful divine abilities of the Five Great Realms and how formidable the Grand Change Formless was.
The Grand Change Formless ranked first among the five great realms’ divine abilities and ranked in the top three of the ten great divine abilities in the entire universe, showing how powerful the Grand Change Formless was.
“The Shallow Cloud Villa where Sister Xi’er and I lived has even better quality and concentration of divine aura. Not only is it beautiful……” Xixi said but remembered Xi’er, and her tone became low again, eventually trailing off.
Ning Cheng asked, “How long does it take to get to the Shallow Cloud Villa from here? If we have the time, we can visit the Shallow Cloud Villa first.”
[1] Not sure if this is referring to seven ‘Divine Halls’ or if it’s a place called the ‘Seven Divine Halls’. Will revisit and change this later as more context emerges.