Host, isn't your title of Immortal Venerable a bit questionable?
The old priest of the Holy Mountain cried out in despair, his voice echoing through the deathly silent valley: "The Mirror of Heaven... it's the Mirror of Heaven from the upper realm!" His withered body trembled violently with fear, and he knelt heavily on the ground.
Fang Li subconsciously wrapped the robe her master had given her tighter, her voice trembling slightly: "Then... what exactly is that?"
The old priest raised his head, tears streaming down his face, his voice hoarse: "'The Celestial Mirror'... is a supreme celestial treasure used by the upper realm to monitor disturbances in the lower realm! It was created specifically to search for... to search for forbidden power! Our lord, the Celestial Venerable Liuli, back then... was discovered by this mirror because he possessed a Chaos Dao Foundation, and ultimately... ultimately brought about his demise!" His eyes were filled with despair, "This time, the secret realm is in turmoil, and the Chaos aura has been leaked. The upper realm has certainly noticed! They will never allow a second Chaos Body to exist... they will definitely send 'Celestial Guards' down to the lower realm... to eliminate all hidden dangers!"
Master Qingxuan's face was ashen. He stepped forward and asked in a deep voice, "Is there a solution? We can't just sit here and wait to die!"
The old priest took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes, and suddenly looked at Fang Li: "The only plan now... is to ask the Immortal Venerable to take control of the Sacred Mountain's origin! The core of the secret realm contains the chaotic laws and boundless spiritual power left behind by our Lord. Only by using the Immortal Venerable's aura to activate it, and in conjunction with the Thoughts of Return Hairpin as the key, can we completely control the secret realm, conceal the secrets of heaven, and perhaps... temporarily avoid the brunt of the attack and strive for a sliver of hope!"
Upon hearing this, Fang Li subconsciously took a half step back and waved her hands repeatedly: "I...I am not the Glazed Immortal Venerable...You have mistaken me for someone else..." She was still full of resistance and confusion about her sudden identity as a "previous life".
The snow-white spirit beast lying at her feet seemed to understand, letting out an anxious low growl and gently rubbing its huge head against her leg, its icy blue eyes filled with encouragement and affirmation.
The old priest bowed deeply once more, his forehead touching the ground: "The aura of our Lord is witnessed by all the spirits of the Holy Mountain. We will never mistake him! We beg you, Immortal Venerable... for the sake of the countless lives on the Holy Mountain, and for your own safety... accept this inheritance!" The other priests also knelt down in unison, pleading silently.
Silence enveloped the valley. A chilling sense of surveillance seemed to linger in the sky above, like a sword hanging over the horizon.
Looking at the elderly figures kneeling on the ground, and feeling the faint resonance and longing of the chaotic foundation within her body for that so-called "origin," and then thinking of that chilling "Sky-Patrolling Mirror"... she bit her lower lip, and finally took a deep breath and said, "...Lead the way."
Guided by the old priest, the group traversed the secret realm and arrived at the core area.
The scene before my eyes was breathtaking: a boundless "sea of spiritual energy" composed of pure chaotic energy flowed slowly, its light shifting and changing, exuding an ancient and majestic aura.
An ancient stone altar stands in the center of Linghai.
The ceremony began with the old priest leading all the priests of the sacred mountain around the altar, chanting ancient and ethereal prayers. The hairpin, symbolizing longing for home, was respectfully placed in the groove at the center of the altar, its warm, radiant surface resonating with the entire spiritual sea.
Fang Li stepped into the spiritual sea step by step.
In an instant, the tranquil spiritual sea began to boil! Vast and pure chaotic spiritual energy, as if finding its home, joyfully surged into her body! The chaotic foundation spontaneously activated, rapidly absorbing the spiritual energy of the same origin, and Fang Li's cultivation level soared, quickly approaching the late stage of the Golden Core realm! The originally gray chaotic spiritual fire directly transformed into a pure and translucent, iridescent, glass-like flame, its power skyrocketing!
At the same time, a powerful surge of emotions and a heavy sense of responsibility flooded into her mind!
It was a deep and unwavering devotion to the land beneath her feet, a heart yearning to protect the myriad creatures that inhabit it! This emotion was so fervent and real that it made her heart tremble.
After the ceremony, the spiritual sea gradually returned to calm, and the aura of the entire secret realm became restrained and profound, as if it were completely isolated from the outside world.
The old priest led all the priests of the Holy Mountain in kneeling deeply before Fang Li once more, their voices filled with excitement and piety: "Welcome back to the position of the Immortal Venerable Liuli!"
Fang Li felt the surging power within her body and the heavy responsibility weighing on her, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She remained silent for a moment, then finally spoke slowly, her voice carrying a newfound calmness: "I... will do my best to protect this place."
[Host...] The system muttered softly:
[Is your position as an Immortal Venerable... a bit questionable? It's all thanks to your past life's inheritance and Brother Hairpin's cheating...]
But it quickly rallied, ["But we can't lose our spirit! System, I'm backing you in spirit!"]
Fang Li silently rolled her eyes at it in her mind: "You think you're so great! You come and do it? Then I'll leave?"
Seeing that Fang Li was unharmed and her aura had greatly increased, Master Qingxuan was somewhat relieved. He then solemnly said, "Concealing the secrets of heaven is not a long-term solution. The Heavenly Patrol Guards will find this place sooner or later. The most urgent task is to improve our strength as soon as possible and take the initiative to eradicate the malignant tumor that is the Soul Devouring Sect! Cut off the eyes and ears and claws of the Upper Realm in this world!"
Xie Chen waved his jade fan and analyzed, "The Soul Devouring Sect has been operating for many years and may have built a secret method or temporary passage connecting to the upper realm. If we can destroy it, it will be tantamount to severing an arm of the upper realm, which will buy more time for my junior sister."
Ji Qianqiu rubbed his hands together, his fighting spirit soaring: "Let's fuck them! I've wanted to wipe out that den of scoundrels for ages!"
Before leaving, the old priest respectfully approached Fang Li and handed her two items: a broken star compass made of special material with a slightly trembling pointer, and a withered yellow vine leaf that looked ordinary but contained a faint and strange fluctuation.
"Immortal Venerable," the old priest said respectfully, "this compass... points to the depths of the ancient vine forest on the west side of the secret realm. This vine leaf resonates with the ancient observatory in the northeast. This is... a relic left behind by other fallen ancient gods. If the Immortal Venerable has the time... perhaps he could explore it, and perhaps... gain something." He spoke subtly, but his gaze seemed to sweep meaningfully over Ji Qianqiu and Xie Chen beside him.
After everyone left the secret realm, the protective barrier of the sacred mountain was fully activated under the guidance of the old priest, and its radiance enveloped the entire sacred mountain.
Meanwhile, deep in the desolate northern frontier, at the headquarters of the Soul Devouring Cult.
In the dimly lit hall, a cold figure shrouded in a wide black robe slowly crushed a blood-red crystal in his hand that had been flashing intensely before dimming completely.
Crystal powder fell softly from between his fingers.
"Useless..." A hoarse, deep voice echoed in the hall, filled with icy rage, "Couldn't even conquer an unclaimed secret realm... and you even lost a fragment of my soul..."
He slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on the center of the hall. There, a distorted spatial portal, constructed from countless pale skeletons and pitch-black magic crystals, was slowly rotating. Within the portal lay a dark and profound abyss, from which faint, chilling roars could be heard…
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