Chapter 805: The Immortal Emperor of Daliang

Atop a mountain peak, Xiao Nanfeng, Lan Yaoguang, and a group of black-robed figures were staring at some Enlightenment Grounds in a distant valley.

The Enlightenment Grounds was curled up and motionless, but the surrounding forest was in disarray. A fierce battle seemed to have just taken place.

"These Enlightenment Grounds recently destroyed a nearby Immortal sect. Only a few cultivators managed to escape, whom we captured for questioning. One of them had an avatar within, and we learned that this is likely a four-pearl territory."

"It devoured an entire Immortal sect? It must be digesting the cultivators' blood, flesh, and spiritual energy…" Lan Yaoguang analyzed with a frown.

"Perhaps increasing the number of the blue-furred lifeforms as well," Xiao Nanfeng added.

"Oh?" Lan Yaoguang asked, puzzled.

"Let's not worry about it for the time being. Since we're here, let's get started," Xiao Nanfeng said decisively.

"Understood!" Everyone nodded.

Xiao Nanfeng, Lan Yaoguang, and the black-robed figures advanced into the Enlightenment Grounds, only to be instantly discovered by countless blue-furred monsters. They roared ferociously and charged toward them.

Lan Yaoguang had long since grown accustomed to the sight. She handed her physical body over to Xiao Nanfeng for safekeeping. Her soul emerged from her mindscape, Cursebane Sword in hand, as she swiftly advanced on the blue-furred monsters.

Lan Yaoguang, now a late-stage True Yin cultivator, was far stronger than she had been before. With a single sword strike, energy swept out around her like a storm and tore through the blue-furred monsters.

She easily felled a large group of the monsters with a single slash. The Cursebane Sword quickly absorbed their essence, feeding the harvested spiritual power and insight to her.

Lan Yaoguang carved out a path of devastation as she slew everything in her way.

Suddenly, a furious shout rang out from afar. A red-robed woman, accompanied by three superior yin pearls, descended with an expression full of murderous intent. Despite just having annihilated an Immortal sect, her killing intent was palpable.

"Attack!" Xiao Nanfeng ordered.

Xiao Nanfeng himself refrained from leading the charge, but his subordinates surged forward.

Tu Feng took the lead and arrived before the red-robed woman in an instant. With a tremendous clash, he sent the red-robed woman flying backward.

Meanwhile, the black-robed cultivators engaged the three superior yin pearls in fighting. They seemed equally matched.

Xiao Nanfeng watched patiently, not intending to interfere. Just then, his spiritual moon rushed out of his mindscape and toward the three superior yin pearls. It knocked one of the pearls flying and joined the fray.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. He didn't want his spiritual moon to participate; it would surely devour the pearls and grow strong enough to threaten him.

However, now that it had struck, there was little he could do. Fortunately, his moon's rate of growth had slowed down, and the current situation was tolerable. What was more, he would need its help to condense the Enlightenment Grounds into a fragment of white jade.

After a period of intense fighting, it ultimately devoured all three superior yin pearls. Swiftly thereafter, Lan Yaoguang killed all the blue-furred monsters as well. The cultivators charged toward the red-robed woman, whose fierce resistance couldn't compare to the combined strength of Xiao Nanfeng's forces.

"No!"

With a final scream, the red-robed woman lost control of the Enlightenment Grounds and transformed into a superior yin pearl, which Xiao Nanfeng's spiritual moon promptly devoured.

Once again, the spiritual moon condensed the natural law within the Enlightenment Grounds into a fragment of white jade, which it tossed to Xiao Nanfeng.

Perhaps this was an equitable trade for the spiritual moon: Xiao Nanfeng would help it devour more superior yin pearls, while it helped him refine these Enlightenment Grounds.

"Nanfeng, it was much easier this time around," Lan Yaoguang said, smiling.

"Now, return to your body and distill this fragment of white jade along with Croak and Warble," Xiao Nanfeng suggested.

"I have a secret technique that the Shangqing Grandmaster taught me to refine foreign energy. Can Croak and Warble do the same?" Lan Yaoguang exclaimed.

"They have their own special cultivation methods as well."

"Got it. This fragment seems about as large as the previous one, though, and even that wasn't enough to help you break through. Will the three of us benefit?"

"We'll find out soon enough," Xiao Nanfeng replied, grinning.

Lan Yaoguang nodded.

Croak, Warble, and Lan Yaoguang sat cross-legged in meditation in front of the fragment of white jade.

Xiao Nanfeng summoned his ten golden crows to shatter the fragment, causing it to crack in an immense wave of energy.

The ten golden crows rapidly formed a formation to contain that energy, then split it three ways and directed it into the three cultivators' bodies.

As the energy surged into their bodies, all three of them trembled.

"What powerful energy! How could there be so much?" Lan Yaoguang exclaimed.

Croak and Warble, who were more advanced in terms of cultivation, simply opened their mouths and swallowed the energy whole. Their natural abilities, combined with their unique techniques, allowed them to absorb the energy with ease. Illusory forms of massive golden toads appeared around them as they basked in the flood of energy.

Waves of energy rippled from Lan Yaoguang's body.

One breakthrough followed another.

She had initially been in the first stage of the True Immortal realm, and her repeated breakthroughs left her elated.

Four hours later, as a massive burst of energy erupted from Lan Yaoguang, all the energy from the fragment of white jade was finally consumed entirely. The ten golden crows returned to Xiao Nanfeng's body as the Enlightenment Grounds dissipated.

Lan Yaoguang opened her eyes in disbelief. "The sixth stage of the True Immortal realm? I just broke through five stages in one go!"

At that moment, Croak and Warble both emitted powerful waves of energy, shocking Lan Yaoguang.

"Haha, I'm a Golden Immortal now!" Croak croaked proudly.

"Don't get too cocky. There are still more stages of cultivation to go," Warble warbled. Even so, it smiled.

"You're both Golden Immortals now?" Lan Yaoguang exclaimed in shock.

Her own excitement over her breakthrough suddenly seemed to diminish.

"You're not like them," Xiao Nanfeng explained. "Croak and Warble were already late-stage True Immortals who were nearly at the peak. Most of the Enlightenment Grounds' energy went to them, so they were able to undergo more demanding breakthroughs."

"But—no, didn't you say earlier that these fragments don't contain much energy?Absorbing a full fragment didn't even help you advance by a single stage…"

"Lady Yaoguang, don't compare us to a freak like Xiao Nanfeng," Croak urged.

"Exactly. Have you ever seen a True Immortal fight a Golden Immortal and come out on top? He even killed a Boundless Immortal before!" Warble exclaimed.

Lan Yaoguang scowled at Xiao Nanfeng.

"Come on. Let's head to the next Enlightenment Grounds. You'll be able to become a Golden Immortal soon enough, too," Xiao Nanfeng said.

Lan Yaoguang clutched Xiao Nanfeng's elbow. "Hold on. Are we stealing your resources?"

"No, no. Fragments at this level aren't too useful for me. It's better to boost your cultivation instead."

"But couldn't you accumulate multiple shards and use them to break through?" Lan Yaoguang asked with concern.

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. "My breakthroughs require massive quantities of energy, but also more advanced forms of energy. My previous breakthrough came from an eleven-pearl territory. The four-pearl territories' energy is too weak and diffuse for me."

"But can't we combine such Enlightenment Grounds to raise their overall level?"

"I asked my spiritual moon about it, but it doesn't seem possible. I don't know how the superior yin pearls do it." Xiao Nanfeng shook his head.

"Is that so? Then we'll keep advancing our cultivation so we can help you with the stronger Enlightenment Grounds later, then," Lan Yaoguang said resolutely.

"Very well!" Xiao Nanfeng replied, laughing.

The cultivators moved on to the next Enlightenment Grounds, again a four-pearl territory.

Before long, they won another resounding victory.

Xiao Nanfeng's spiritual moon once again absorbed four superior yin pearls, while Lan Yaoguang, You Jiu, and several high-ranking spectral guards got to absorb the energy from the fragment of white jade.

Once again, energy filled the cultivators' bodies. Lan Yaoguang reached the peak of the True Immortal realm, along with several high-ranking spectral guards. Only You Jiu began to radiate golden energy as he became a Golden Immortal proper.

"Onto the next Enlightenment Grounds!" Lan Yaoguang exclaimed expectantly. "I want to become a Golden Immortal too."

"Let's go, then." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

Xiao Nanfeng's group rapidly swept through the Enlightenment Grounds, drawing plenty of attention.

The city lord of Qingyun had been paying attention to them ever since handing the map to Xiao Nanfeng.

News quickly came pouring in.

"What? They've wiped out another one? How can that be?!" exclaimed the city lord of Qingyun.

No matter how incredulous he was, facts were facts. Even after sending several groups to investigate the situation, their reports were all identical: Xiao Nanfeng's group seemed to be unstoppable.

The city lord had no choice but to send one of his subordinates to relay the news to the Immortal Emperor of Daliang immediately.

In Daliang's capital, a cold and beautiful woman in imperial robes listened on as her subordinate relayed what the city lord of Qingyun had to say.

"Your Majesty, they're taking down the Enlightenment Grounds one after another! They've already finished off five of them, and they're showing no signs of stopping."

"What do they look like?"

"The majority wear black robes, and we can't make out their appearance. Their two leaders, a man and a woman, revealed themselves during a fight. They look like this."

Her subordinate formed images of Xiao Nanfeng and Lan Yaoguang.

The Immortal Emperor of Daliang's pupils constricted in shock. "Xiao Nanfeng and Lan Yaoguang? That wretched couple! To think they would dare enter the green knoll hidden realm—our paths really are bound to cross again!"