Secret land of mountains and seas
The light of the space-time tunnel weaved like a thread, carrying Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok to an unknown realm. When the light faded, they found themselves standing on a misty mountaintop, surrounded by towering peaks of various shapes. Some pierced the sky like sharp swords, others resembled immortals playing chess, and there were waterfalls like the Milky Way hanging upside down. Ancient trees towered into the sky, and rare and insane birds and beasts appeared and disappeared.
"The spiritual energy here..." Qi Diao Yanfei took a deep breath, feeling every pore in her body rejoicing, "It's incredibly rich."
Tashi Phuntsok closed his eyes, sensing the situation, his expression growing increasingly solemn. "The laws of this space-time are drastically different from what we know. What flows between heaven and earth isn't simply the energy of space-time, but something far more ancient... the energy of chaos."
Suddenly, a clear crane cry echoed from the clouds. A large white crane gracefully landed, and a boy in green clothes leaped off the crane's back, holding a jade slip and bowing to them:
"I have come here on the orders of the Queen Mother of Kunlun West to welcome the two distinguished guests."
"The Queen Mother of the West?" Qi Diao Yanfei couldn't hide her surprise. "The legendary Kunlun fairyland?"
The boy smiled, "That's right. The Queen sensed that you two had traveled through time and space, so she sent me here to lead the way."
They rode on white cranes, sailing through a sea of clouds. Soon they came upon a towering sacred mountain, rising between heaven and earth. On the mountain, palaces stretched in a continuous procession, resplendent with gold and jade, dotted with magical springs and cascading waterfalls, and covered in exotic flowers and plants. It truly was a fairyland.
In the Yaochi Palace of the Queen Mother of the West, they met this legendary goddess, who had a peerless appearance, a graceful temperament, and a faint aura of chaos surrounding her.
"Time traveler, welcome to the secret realm of mountains and seas." The Queen Mother of the West's voice was as clear and moving as the clash of jade and stone. "This realm is a fragment left over from the beginning of heaven and earth, independent of all other heavens and realms."
Qi Diao Yan Fei bowed respectfully, "I wonder why Her Majesty has summoned us?"
The Queen Mother of the West waved her jade hand lightly, and a scene emerged on the surface of the Yaochi Lake: in the east of the secret realm, a once vibrant forest was withering at a speed visible to the naked eye, the land was cracking, the rivers were drying up, and all living things were fleeing.
"The veins of Qingyao Mountain in the eastern part of the secret realm have been unusually dry in recent days. If not treated promptly, the entire mountain will be reduced to scorched earth within three months." Queen Mother of the West looked worried. "Even more disturbing is that this blight is spreading to other areas."
Tashi Phuntsok observed the energy flow in the scene intently: "This is not a natural exhaustion, but something is absorbing the essence of the earth veins."
"Indeed." Queen Mother of the West nodded. "I sent several immortals to investigate, but none of them returned. Only one mountain god, gravely injured, returned with a few words before dying, mentioning the four words 'Demon from Beyond'."
Qi Diao Yanfei and Zhaxi Pingcuo looked at each other and understood the purpose of the Queen Mother of the West inviting them.
"Your Majesty wants us to go and investigate?" asked Tashi Phuntsok.
The Queen Mother of the West took out a jade pendant and said, "This is the 'Chaos Talisman'. It can help you move freely in the secret realm, without being restricted by the laws of heaven and earth. If you really encounter an extraterritorial demon, it may come in handy."
After taking the Chaos Talisman, the two immediately set off for Qingyao Mountain.
The closer they got to Qingyao Mountain, the more desolate the scene became. The forest, once teeming with spiritual energy, now stagnated, even the air thin and stagnant. Even more unsettling, they sensed a familiar energy fluctuation—the same dark energy they had previously encountered at the source of the plague and in the future Buddhist kingdom, yet even more ancient and powerful.
"This energy..." Qi Diao Yanfei said solemnly, "It's more powerful than anything we've encountered before."
Tashi Phuntsok nodded: "It seems that the extraterritorial demons are active in more than one time and space."
Deep in the heart of Qingyao Mountain, they discovered a huge underground cave. The cave exuded an ominous black aura, which was the source of the dried-up earth veins.
Just as they were about to enter the underground, a sound of fighting came from the nearby valley. They approached quietly and saw a shocking scene:
A goddess clad in silver armor engaged in a fierce battle with several dark figures. These shadows possessed amorphous forms, shifting like smoke, yet emanating a powerful dark energy. Though valiant, the goddess was clearly at a disadvantage, her silver armor already showing signs of wear and tear.
"It's the Goddess Wuluo!" Tashi Phuntsok recognized the goddess. "The guardian deity of Qingyao Mountain."
Seeing that Wu Luo was about to be swallowed by the shadow, Qi Diao Yanfei took out the "Poetry Biography of Tsangyang Gyatso" without hesitation and read aloud:
"At that moment, I raised the wind horse, not to beg for blessings, but just to wait for your arrival..."
The power of poetry transformed into golden words, entwining the shadows like chains. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Tashi Phuntsok used the energy of time and space to rescue Wu Luo from the battle.
"Thank you both for your help." Wu Luo panted and thanked him. The scars on his silver armor were slowly healing. "Those extraterritorial demons are extremely difficult to deal with. They can directly corrode the immortal body."
Qi Diao Yanfei asked with concern, "How is the goddess's injury?"
Wu Luo shook his head. "That's fine. The most urgent task is to stop them from draining the earth veins. These demons have set up a 'Soul Devouring Formation' deep in the earth. If we don't break it, the entire Mountain and Sea Secret Realm will be in danger."
After discussion, the three decided to go into the underground together.
Deep within the earth lies a hidden world. Within a vast hollow, countless dark shadows orbited a complex formation. At its center, a mass of chaotic energy continuously absorbed the essence of the earth's veins pouring in from all directions.
"That's the Soul Devouring Formation." Wu Luo whispered, "Judging from the scale of the formation, they've been operating here for a long time."
Even more shocking was the sight of several dark figures injecting the absorbed earth essence into a translucent cocoon, a humanoid being vaguely visible taking shape within.
"They are creating some kind of existence..." Tashi Pingcuo said with a serious expression.
At this moment, the cocoon suddenly broke, and a figure walked out. It was a woman with a beautiful face, but her eyes were completely black and did not reflect any light.
"Welcome, time traveler," the woman said, her voice as cold as eternal ice. "I am the daughter of Chaos, the princess of the Outer Realm Demon."
Wu Luo raised his weapon: "It was you who absorbed the veins of Qingyao Mountain and killed the creatures in the secret realm?"
The Daughter of Chaos chuckled. "Mutilation? I'm merely reclaiming what originally belonged to us. This secret realm was originally part of Chaos. It was you, the so-called 'gods', who tore it from the chaos and claimed it for yourselves."
She pointed at Qi Diao Yan Fei and Tashi Phuntsok and said, "As for you, you have repeatedly disrupted our plans, and today you will pay the price for it."
The Daughter of Chaos waved her hand, and the energy of the entire Earth began to riot. Countless dark shadows surged from all directions, surrounding the three people.
At this critical moment, Qi Diao Yanfei suddenly remembered the wisdom tree seed given by Xuan Jian. She took out the seed and felt that it resonated wonderfully with the chaotic energy of this secret realm.
"I understand..." She suddenly realized, "The secret realm of mountains and seas is a fragment of chaos, and the tree of wisdom contains the wisdom of balance. Perhaps..."
She threw the tree seeds into the air while reciting the Mahavairocana Sutra. Inspired by the energy of the Dharma, the tree seeds began to sprout and grow, emitting a soft yet powerful light.
Surprisingly, this light did not fight against the chaotic energy, but blended with it, forming a brand new energy. Under the influence of this energy, the turbulent chaotic energy gradually calmed down.
The Daughter of Chaos' expression changed drastically: "What kind of power is this? It's neither order nor chaos..."
Tashi Phuntsok also understood: "Order and chaos are two sides of the same coin, interdependent. Excessive leaning towards either side will lead to imbalance."
Qi Diao Yanfei nodded: "The future Buddha Kingdom is too orderly and needs chaos to balance it; while here, chaos is out of control and needs order to reconcile it."
In the light of the Tree of Wisdom, the darkness of the Daughter of Chaos began to fade, and her dark eyes gradually returned to normal. She looked at her hands in confusion: "What...what did I do?"
Wu Luo looked at this scene in surprise: "The Daughter of Chaos... has regained her sanity?"
It turns out that the Daughter of Chaos was the natural embodiment of the chaotic energy of the secret realm, but she lost her true nature due to the bewitching influence of the demons from outside the realm. The balancing energy of the Wisdom Sapling awakened her true consciousness.
"I'm sorry..." The Daughter of Chaos burst into tears. "I was blinded by darkness and made a terrible mistake."
With the help of the Daughter of Chaos, they successfully broke the Soul Devouring Array and released the absorbed earth essence. Qingyao Mountain began to recover, with withered plants sprouting anew and clear springs gushing out from the dry riverbed.
However, the crisis is not over yet. The Daughter of Chaos warns that the main force of the extraterritorial demons is on their way, aiming to completely devour the Mountain and Sea Secret Realm and transform it into a base for attacking other time and space.
"We must strengthen the defense of the secret realm." Wu Luo looked serious.
The Daughter of Chaos pondered for a moment and proposed a bold plan: "I can mobilize the Chaos Essence of the Secret Realm and construct a 'Chaos Barrier.' However, this barrier requires a balance of Order energy, otherwise it will get out of control."
Qi Diao Yanfei looked at the growing sapling of wisdom and said, "Perhaps this is why it came here."
Over the next three days, they unfolded an unprecedented ritual. The Daughter of Chaos mobilized the essence of chaos, Wu Luo channeled the energy of the earth veins, and Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok utilized Buddhist wisdom and the energy of time and space, respectively, to cultivate the sapling of wisdom into a towering tree.
When the Tree of Wisdom finally matured, it was rooted in chaos yet radiated the light of order, perfectly balancing the two forces. With it at its core, a barrier slowly formed across the entire secret realm, keeping the extraterritorial demons at bay.
The Queen Mother of the West came to witness this miracle: "The balance between order and chaos... This is a feat never before seen since the creation of the world."
The Daughter of Chaos bowed deeply to Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok: "Thank you both for helping me find myself again. From now on, I will serve as the Guardian of Chaos and safeguard this balance."
The time had come to leave the secret realm of mountains and seas. In the Yaochi Palace of the Queen Mother of the West, Qi Diao Yanfei recorded this experience in the "Records of Observations in the Three Realms":
“That day, we stepped into the secret realm of mountains and seas and witnessed the collision of chaos and order;
That month, we joined hands with the Daughter of Chaos to resolve millennia of resentment and misunderstanding;
That year, we nurtured the tree of wisdom and created an unprecedented balance;
In that life, we protected the origin of heaven and earth, connecting all living things to one another."
The Queen Mother of the West gave them a bottle of Yaochi fairy water: "This water has the effect of nourishing all things. Perhaps it will be useful on your journey."
The Daughter of Chaos took out a Chaos Crystal Stone and said, "With this, no matter where you are in time and space, you can stay connected to the Secret Realm of Mountains and Seas."
Before embarking on her journey home, Qi Diao Yanfei looked back at the world that had regained its balance. The Tree of Wisdom shone brightly in the center of the secret realm, and order and chaos flowed in harmony like yin and yang.
“Every time and space has its own unique balance point,” she said. “Finding this point can resolve conflicts and create harmony.”
Tashi Phuntsok held her hand and said, “Our journey is a process of constantly finding these balance points.”
The space-time passage opened again, carrying them to their next destination. Qi Diao Yanfei held the Chaos Crystal in her hand, feeling the balancing energy flowing within it.
This time, where will they go? What challenges will they encounter? She doesn't know the answer, but she knows that as long as they are together, they can face any difficulties.
In the endless time and space, the wisdom of balance will be like a beacon, always guiding them in the direction of progress.
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