Chapter 40 - 39 Ascension Platform Appears i
“Wu’er Xianting… How imposing, how carefree!”
A group of people stopped outside Li Fan’s courtyard and saw the plaque hanging over the entrance.
Yu Qishui couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, “Just by glancing at it, I feel an unimaginable aura. If a sword cultivator were to come here, they might be able to comprehend the supreme Sword Dao from this calligraphy!”
Fire Spirit and the others also felt it was extraordinary.
“Senior, Qian Ning and the others have come to pay their respects to you.”
Mu Qianning spoke respectfully from outside the courtyard gate.
“Come in.”
Li Fan’s voice came from within the courtyard.
The visitors then pushed open the door and entered.
Upon entering the courtyard, they saw Li Fan lying leisurely under a peach tree, while Zi Ling was intently painting an extremely unusual egg, and Nan Feng was gently plucking the strings of a guqin with her bare hands.
The little white tiger lay in Li Fan’s arms, looking even more extraordinary. “Truly a reclusive master of the world; while the outside has turned upside down, Senior Li remains so calm and leisurely…”
Everyone was somewhat bewildered; this courtyard was indeed a different world.
But on second thought, they found it reasonable. What in the world could affect the mood of a person of Senior Li’s stature?
“Come sit.”
Li Fan said with a smile. Fire Spirit and the others, after several visits, had become old friends.
He wondered how their business had been faring.
“How have you been recently?” he asked.
“Thanks to Senior’s concern, all is well.”
Yu Qishui replied respectfully.
“Your visit is related to the event Luo Ming and the others are preparing, isn’t it?”
Last time, Li Fan gave Luo Ming a “Wan Shan Ju Long Tu”. He guessed they would organize an art exhibition or an auction with it.
Back then, Fire Spirit and the others had expressed their wish to participate. Now that they were here, it was most likely time for that art exhibition to start. At this, Fire Spirit and the others quickly nodded in agreement.
“Senior, do you have any advice for us this time?”
Fire Spirit asked nervously.
Li Fan smiled and said, “Nothing much. Just keep a normal state of mind, and don’t be too nervous. These things aren’t a big deal.”
He was quite worried that Fire Spirit would get nervous, being probably someone who had just started a small shop and hadn’t seen much of the world.
At his words, the others felt even more complex emotions.
Even matters involving the Cangli Mountain Range and immortals… in Senior Li’s view, were nothing more than that!
This must be the perspective of an exceptional master…
“Since you’ve come here, I will give you two more things— ”
Li Fan continued to speak.
At his words, Fire Spirit and the others were extremely excited and delighted! With items bestowed by Senior Li, they truly had no more worries for this trip. Li Fan then got up and, with a wave of his hand, had Zi Ling prepare the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Li Fan immediately picked up the brush and, with strokes as swift as the wind, completed a piece in one breath—a phrase instantly took shape:
“One Sword Suppressing the South Heavens!”
Just these five characters!
Every character was like a sword, and the vigor challenged the heavens!
Fire Spirit and the others were deeply shocked at the sight.
These four characters contained terrifying Daoist essence!
Subsequently, Li Fan continued to wield his brush and freely drew another painting.
The scene he depicted was of the sky—vast and boundless, with clouds layering upon each other, and the edges of rooftops hinting in the distance.
An immortal palace, hidden in the clouds!
This was the “Biluo Immortal Palace Map”!
As Li Fan’s brush stroked the final line,
Fire Spirit and the others seemed lost in a daze as if they had witnessed a true imposing immortal palace, eternally existent amongst the leisurely drifting clouds!
And Zi Ling was directly immersed in the realm of enlightenment…
Li Fan, smiling, handed the calligraphy and painting to Fire Spirit and the others.
Since Fire Spirit and the others wanted to exhibit to the eyes of the world, Li Fan simply decided to show the world what true calligraphy and what true painting meant!
Meanwhile.
Fiery Mountain.
Once possessing great influence in the Southern Fire Country, sweeping over myriad forces of the month and day levels, it now appeared somewhat silent.
Inside a secret chamber.
Yin Xiaokong, the Sect Master of Fiery Mountain, had been staying in the chamber for nearly half a month.
No one dared to disturb him.
Yin Xiaokong knelt before a sinister looking statue with eight arms and two heads, featuring eerie colors.
Previously, when the Evil God informed him that a Divine Envoy had descended and would soon erase all obstructing entities, Yin Xiaokong was overjoyed, believing Fiery Mountain’s chance to dominate the entire Fire Country and even vie for supremacy in the Southern Territory had finally arrived.
However, what followed was the soundless death of the Divine Envoy.
Even the Evil God had fallen into silence.
This plunged Yin Xiaokong into a state of deep panic.
What sort of existence could there be in that small village, behind the Lihuo Sect, that could effortlessly defeat even a messenger of the Evil God?
He was terrified that the opposing force could extinguish Fiery Mountain with a mere flick of the finger.
Therefore, only by hiding before the Evil God’s statue could he feel a slight sense of security.
“Evil God… The Cangli Mountain Range is opened; why have you not given any instructions yet…”
He murmured.
Could the existence in that small village be so terrifying that even the Evil God dared not reappear?
But no sooner had he finished speaking than a muffled and grating voice suddenly emanated from within the Evil God statue:
“The time has come.”
Yin Xiaokong immediately looked up, disbelievingly at the statue.
The Evil God… had finally spoken again?
“Evil God, at last you have spoken…”
He was extremely excited.
In the eyes of the Evil God’s statue, however, two green lights suddenly appeared.
“The aura of becoming an immortal has already emerged… and I shall bestow upon you a great fortune.”
The menacing voice of the Evil God rang out.
Yin Xiaokong was even more thrilled!
Great fortune!
This was too wonderful!
“Supreme God… What can I do for you?” he asked, trembling.
But the menacing laughter coldly said, “For me, contribute your body!”
From within the Evil God’s statue, an eerie wraith suddenly floated out.
“No!”
At that moment, Yin Xiaokong felt a great terror!
But it was already too late, he had no ability to resist, and the wraith directly entered his body.
After entering his body, the wraith devoured Yin Xiaokong’s weak soul in one gulp.
“Hehe… the taste of a soul, it really is delicious…”
“Yin Xiaokong” climbed up from the ground, twisted his head around, filled with a demonic sensation.
He walked out of the secret chamber.
“Sect Master, how did it go?”
“Did the Supreme God respond?”
Gongsun Qi and other elders asked in turn.
“Of course, there was.”
“Yin Xiaokong” sneered menacingly and with a wave of his hand!
Countless dark and terrifying wraiths suddenly flew out from his hand!
The eight Great Elders of Fiery Mountain were instantly brought down, convulsing, screaming in agony!
Shortly after, all eight Great Elders stood up, their eyes glowing with a sinister green light!
“We greet the Supreme God!”
all eight Great Elders knelt together!
“Yin Xiaokong” turned his head, looking in the direction of the Cangli Mountain Range, and said, “Ascension Platform… the chance to become an immortal, I have arrived!”
With a low roar, he and the eight Great Elders disappeared from the top of Fiery Mountain in an instant.
In the Southern Territory, a lake enveloped by cold air.
The temperature was extremely low.
The water was black, and at the bottom of the lake were huge chunks of ice.
This was the rare Mysterious Ice!
In the center of a huge block of Mysterious Ice, there was a figure sitting in meditation.
It was a young man, a woman with white hair yet a breathtakingly beautiful face!
Suddenly, she opened her eyes.
In an instant, the Mysterious Ice shattered!
The entire icy-cold lake was shockingly swept into the sky by the impact.
The next moment, the woman had already appeared above the lake.
“The opportunity to become immortal has finally emerged… In this life, I must become immortal!”
With one step, she was already a thousand li away!
The allied forces led by Taiyan Holy Land and Ziyang Holy Land had already entered deep into the Cangli Mountain Range.
“Roar–”
On the third day, the allied forces faced a threat, the Demon Soul of a primordial ferocious beast that remained until today, its Supreme might hardly diminished.
With one swipe of its paw, the ferocious beast slaughtered hundreds of cultivators!
In the end, it was only through the joint efforts of Hong Xuan and Luo Ming that it was repressed.
The fourth day.
A residual array caused the deaths of nearly a thousand people in the allied forces!
The fifth day.
When passing through a place with a powerful surge from the earth’s core, the immense suction dragged down hundreds of people, including three Sub- Honored ones!
On the sixth day, the allied forces even encountered a Quasi-Iminortal Artifact that had become sentient, killing two Supremes of Taiyan Holy Land. In the end, a Quasi-Immortal Artifact from Taiyan Holy Land was also taken out to control the situation!
Even though the Cangli Mountain Range had already collapsed and many dangers no longer existed, the remnants were still breath-takingly perilous.
Finally, in the field of vision of the allied forces, a splendid light appeared!
Within that radiance of seven colors, there loomed a long flight of stairs, leading to an unknown destination!
“Is that… the Ascension Platform?!”
“Are we… about to reach the Ascension Platform? The legendary place where Supremes become immortals!”
“How is this possible… A place countless Supremes have sought but could never reach, we’re actually able to get there? Do we really have the chance to become immortals…”
Everyone was shocked.
Having come this far, the allied forces had suffered great losses, but about five thousand people still remained!
A place where even Supremes faced life and death, this time, so many were able to reach it?
Everyone felt somewhat surreal.
Ahead.
“We’re only a hundred li away from the location of the Ascension Platform!”
The Holy Master Ling Chao Supreme of Taiyan Holy Land appeared personally, his tone excited.
“Yes… by passing through this area, we’ll reach the Ascension Platform…”
Yuan Yang Venerable of Ziyang Holy Land also had a fervently eager look in his eyes.
Now, they had all appeared in person.
“Let’s go, through the area ahead, then to the Ascension Platform!”
“The secrets of becoming immortal will all unfold before our eyes!”
Both holy masters personally spoke!
After that, they led more than ten Supremes themselves into the fray!