Chapter 177 - 129: The Opening of the Void Hall! The Legend of Lin Changsheng!

"Yes......."

Yu Xiaochang, Qi Hui, Jian Shaowu, Lu Chang, and the others all lowered their heads and entered the Hundred Thousand Soul Banner, absolutely not daring to slack off.

Once inside the Myriad Soul Banner, they suffered bitterly; only obedience could spare them further pain.

Profound Court and Xuan Jing, father and son, looked at each other—only to sense a blazing fireball streaking toward them, encasing them both. Instantly, their shrill screams rang out.

After burning Profound Court and Xuan Jing for some time, Lin Chang’sheng refined them into the Hundred Thousand Soul Banner.

"Never would I have imagined, with cultivation at Golden Core Stage, I’d end up like this!"

Profound Court looked at the Hundred Thousand Soul Banner that used to belong to him, heaved a long sigh at the sky, utterly desperate.

He never expected that the banner he himself had refined would, in the end, contain him—making him its main soul!

Lin Chang’sheng held the Hundred Thousand Soul Banner, soared heavenward, riding his sword.

With a wave of his hand!

Suddenly, the Hundred Thousand Soul Banner in his grasp expanded in the wind, swelling to thirty zhang in size, floating in the sky; inside, countless fierce demonic souls streamed out in succession!

They nearly covered the mountains!

Within a radius of dozens of miles, Yin Qi instantly thickened, like the depths of hell—ghosts wailing, spirits shrieking!

Where Yin Qi spread, all green vegetation withered, turning black!

"Such terrifying Yin Qi! Any Golden Core Stage cultivator below the middle stage who encounters it—mild cases go dazed, severe cases fall to heart demons!"

Lin Chang’sheng felt the terrifying power of this Hundred Thousand Soul Banner, quite pleased in his heart.

This Hundred Thousand Soul Banner, as long as he kept channeling magical power, would unleash endless ghost souls!

Even if the spirits were scattered, they’d return to the banner to re-form!

If a Golden Core Stage cultivator without treasure defense ran into this, they’d never break free!

"Let me test the power of my Celestial Radiance Flame Bow!"

Lin Chang’sheng’s thoughts stirred; with that, he drew out the Celestial Radiance Flame Bow—an ancient treasure on par with Golden Core Stage cultivators’ magical treasures. At present, he’d refined two layers of its restrictions; firing one arrow would unleash might equal to a Golden Core middle stage attack!

Lin Chang’sheng gripped the bow, gently pulling the string. Instantly, he saw runes shimmer across its surface, patterns swirling, while magical power flooded in frenziedly from his dantian!

As Lin Chang’sheng poured in his magical power, the Celestial Radiance Flame Bow condensed a two-foot-long, fiery red arrow—crafted entirely from his magical power!

Just forming this arrow burned up thirty percent of Lin Chang’sheng’s magical power!

The arrow was blazing hot; at its tip, a terrifying heat radiated, warping the very air around it!

"Tss!"

Lin Chang’sheng loosed a shot; the flaming arrow tore through the air like lightning, bolting toward a mountain peak a dozen miles away, about a hundred zhang across!

The arrow buried itself deep in the mountain!

Boom—boom—boom!

A thunderous explosion erupted!

The earth quaked; that mountain peak erupted with fire, a column of dust shooting a hundred zhang high!

As the dust settled, the hundred-zhang mountain was gone—obliterated by Lin Chang’sheng’s arrow!

"Not bad, this arrow’s power!"

Lin Chang’sheng saw the might of his Celestial Radiance Flame Bow, satisfaction in his eyes.

Once refined, the Celestial Radiance Flame Bow could be locked onto a target with divine sense; which meant, barring some accident, enemies couldn’t dodge, only face it head-on.

"My cultivation is still too low. With my current Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer cultivation, I can only fire three arrows of this power before I’m emptied of magical power."

Lin Chang’sheng felt the depletion in his dantian, thinking to himself.

"Daoist Li, we’d better hurry—the Void Hall is about to open. If we’re late, we’ll miss our chance!"

"Right, I heard the Void Hall is filled with treasures. Hope this time I’ll get the chance for Core Formation inside!"

Just then—

Lin Chang’sheng’s divine sense detected, fifty miles away, two Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer cultivators chatting while rushing northwest.

"The Void Hall is opening?"

Hearing the two passing cultivators, Lin Chang’sheng’s curiosity piqued; having been secluded for so long, it was his first time seeing others pass through here.

"I was planning to refine a magical treasure first, but better ask for details."

Lin Chang’sheng made up his mind, packed up the cave’s belongings, tucked Xiaobai into the spirit beast bag, and rode his sword after the two cultivators.

Lin Chang’sheng moved so fast, he quickly caught up to them.

"Greetings, fellow Daoists! May I ask, where are you both hurrying off to?"

From three zhang away, Lin Chang’sheng cupped his fists to the two Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer cultivators.

The two exchanged glances; the taller one smiled politely and cupped his fists. "How may I address this fellow Daoist?"

"Oh, I’m Yu Xiaochang. May I ask, how may you two be addressed?"

Lin Chang’sheng cupped his fists lightly, asking.

"My name’s Wang Gang, that’s Li Tianyun. We heard the Void Hall is about to open, so we’re heading there for a shot at some good fortune!"

Wang Gang, the tall Foundation Establishment cultivator, cupped his fists as he spoke.

"So it’s Daoist Wang and Daoist Li. About this Void Hall opening—where is it happening?"

Lin Chang’sheng’s eyes sparkled at those words.

From what he knew—

The Void Hall is a wondrous immortal palace of the Southern Realm, rumored to have descended from the heavens, filled with endless opportunities; any cultivator who enters and survives comes out with their cultivation greatly increased!

Nine hundred years ago, the Southern Realm Nascent Soul expert Ling Wuji entered the Void Hall, gained an earth-shattering opportunity, and eventually became the realm’s strongest late-stage great cultivator, advancing to Divinity Transformation Stage and shattering the void itself!

The Void Hall is divided into Foundation Establishment Area, Golden Core Area, and Nascent Soul Area, each matching various cultivations; inside, one could find unending opportunities, core formation spiritual objects, nascent soul spiritual objects, Body Shaping Holy Pools, Refining God Halls... the treasures go on and on!

What’s more, if you’re not content with the lower-level Foundation Establishment Area and want to enter the Golden Core Area, you can—

But if you’re in the Golden Core Area and want to go down to Foundation Establishment, that’s not allowed.

Also, each time the Void Hall opens, it appears at a random location in the Southern Domain Cultivation Realm, sometimes within the Beimu Immortal Race, Demon Evil Sea, or even Eastern Wilderness!

"Daoist Yu, this time it’s at the intersection of Southern Realm, Beimu Immortal Race, and Demon Evil Sea!"

"The spot is called Celestial Cyan Grassland! If you want to go, we can travel together."

Wang Gang spoke in a deep voice.

"Celestial Cyan Grassland!"

"Sounds good!"

Lin Chang’sheng’s heart stirred; now Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, and though he had Jade Spirit Marrow—which increased his core formation odds by thirty percent—it wasn’t enough; the Void Hall held many treasures for Golden Core formation.

If he could pick up another treasure there, his odds at forming a Golden Core would rise even higher.

Of course, having refined Heaven and Earth Qi, his core formation was pretty much guaranteed, but he still had to put in the work.

So, Lin Chang’sheng set off for Celestial Cyan Grassland with Wang Gang and Li Tianyun.

From Wang Gang and Li Tianyun, Lin Chang’sheng learned of recent events in the cultivation world.

With Beimu Immortal Race’s invasion, the Golden Talisman Immortal Sect’s Nascent Soul Myriad Talisman King had perished, another Nascent Soul Stage’s body shattered, and the sect was forced to relocate to the edge of the Eastern Wilderness to rebuild. The Demonic Dao had seized the chance to occupy large swathes of the Southern Domain Cultivation Realm.

The Yin Yang Dao Sect and Yanyue Immortal Sect each lost a Nascent Soul Stage elder, their territories shrunk by half—dominated by the Five Demonic Sects. As things stand now, both Beimu Immortal Race and Demon Evil Sea have set up shop in the Southern Domain Cultivation Realm.

The main reason is that Demon Evil Sea and Beimu Immortal Race are bitterly cold regions.

The Southern Domain Cultivation Realm was weak, so Demon Evil Sea and Beimu Immortal Race invaded easily.

"Looks like... the Southern Domain Cultivation Realm will be swept away by the Demonic Dao before long..."

Hearing the news, Lin Chang’sheng couldn’t help but shake his head and smile wryly.

If things kept going like this—

The Southern Domain’s territory would be whittled down to practically nothing.

"Yeah, in our Southern Domain Cultivation Realm, three Nascent Soul Stage great experts have fallen, one is left with only their nascent soul—primordial energy is running low. Except, if another late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivator emerges!"

Wang Gang also looked worried.

Li Tianyun nodded his agreement.

"Late-stage great cultivators? That’s tough. As far as I know, the only ones in our Southern Domain Cultivation Realm are Wang Chonglou of the Celestial Sword Immortal Sect, Jiaoyue Fairy of the Yanyue Immortal Sect, and Ling Yun Ascendant of the Liuyun Immortal Sect."

"I remember our Southern Domain Cultivation Realm sparring with Demon Evil Sea once—we suffered a huge loss."

Lin Chang’sheng shook his head at that, speaking.

He knew—

The spar was between the upper echelons of Southern Domain and Demon Evil Sea; word was, Celestial Demon Sect’s middle-stage Nascent Soul cultivator mastered a divine power, clinching the match.

If the Southern Domain could produce another late-stage great cultivator, they might drive Beimu Immortal Race and Demon Evil Sea’s cultivators back, turning the tide.

But—

Late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivators are really few and far between.

"Then again, we’ve seen a bunch of prodigies this generation in the Southern Domain Cultivation Realm."

"Like Yu Lingfei from Yanyue Immortal Sect, Zhuo Yijian from Celestial Sword Immortal Sect, Zhang Aoxue from Yin Yang Dao Sect, Shi Hao from Golden Talisman Immortal Sect, and the lone cultivator Mu Yunfeng, also Tu Yunfei!"

"By the way, Daoist Yu, have you heard about Liuyun Immortal Sect’s genius disciple Lin Chang’sheng?"

Wang Gang veered the topic suddenly, voice somber.

"Lin Chang’sheng?"

"Never heard of him."

Lin Chang’sheng was stunned when he heard that.

He hadn’t expected Wang Gang to bring up his own name—he’d definitely listen in closely now.

"This Lin Chang’sheng is an outer disciple of Liuyun Immortal Sect, but word is, he’s hidden his depths well, travels with a white fox that can instant teleport—two years ago, he stole eight streams of Heaven and Earth Qi right under everybody’s noses."

"Half a year ago, it’s said he killed Celestial Ghost Sect’s Golden Core Profound Court in a spot with zero spiritual energy, snatched the Jade Spirit Marrow, slew the Corpse King Sect’s Golden Core Early Stage cultivator Lu Chang, and Taiyin Island’s Golden Core Basic Level cultivator Jian Shaowu, plus a Golden Core Early Stage demon beast—Cold Jade Snow Python!"

"But that’s not even the craziest part—know what makes him truly legendary?"

Wang Gang’s eyes gleamed; he kept Lin Chang’sheng guessing.

"What’s the truly legendary part?"

Lin Chang’sheng’s curiosity was caught, so he asked along.

"He’s just Foundation Establishment Third Layer! With that level, he killed three Golden Core cultivators! The Corpse King Sect’s Golden Core Peak Lu Yunchang hunted him all over, but Lin Chang’sheng used the white fox’s instant teleport to escape every time! Isn’t that sick?"

Wang Gang’s eyes were blazing; spittle flew as he spoke, as if Lin Chang’sheng were his own brother.

"No way! Foundation Establishment is six realms below Golden Core!"

Lin Chang’sheng shook his head, suppressing his laughter inside.

"I dunno, but the whole cultivation world is buzzing. They say he knows array formations, and his physical body’s as tough as a fifth-rank demon beast!"

Wang Gang looked longingly, muttering, "If I ever met Elder Lin, I’d pour my admiration out to him!"

"Daoist Wang, you’ll definitely meet him!"

Lin Chang’sheng glanced over at the buff Wang Gang, feeling a chill, secretly muttering to himself.

Why is a macho dude like you admiring me?

The trio sped forward.

"Liuyun Immortal Sect’s Su Changkong sent their Golden Core Elders searching for me—what’s that all about?"

Lin Chang’sheng gazed ahead, pondering silently.

From Wang Gang and Li Tianyun, he learned Su Changkong had dispatched elders to bring him back to the sect.

"He wants me to refine Heaven and Earth Qi? At this point, I’ve refined it all. Or maybe, they just want me back to nurture me? No way!"

Lin Chang’sheng looked thoughtful.

If Murong Tian’s words rang true, Su Changkong wasn’t nearly so generous.