Chapter 501: 416 Zhangg Return_2
Chen Jichuan carefully selected from the best, ultimately choosing six Extreme Legends and fourteen Top Legends. ’Summoning Cottage’ instantly rose to become a top-tier organization comparable to the ’Magic Martial Holy Hall’ and the ’Dawn Era’ in terms of high-end combat power.
Chen Jichuan was well aware of the motives of these legends for joining ’Summoning Cottage.’
Yet, he established rules and regulations and set numerous provisions. For those genuinely committed and willing to work hard, Chen Jichuan was willing to give them a chance.
All of this would be tested by time.
With everything in place.
Chen Jichuan did not linger any longer. With the ’Nine Treasures Glazed Tower’ suspended above him and the ’Immortal Sect’ vividly visualized in his mind, he proceeded.
After a whirl of sky and earth, he reappeared in the Chongming Nine Heavens.
...
"Phew!"
"The air in Chongming Realm smells better."
Chen Jichuan returned to the Ninth Realm, greedily inhaling the fresh air of the Nine Heavens, immediately feeling rejuvenated.
During his time in the Divine Throne Continent, magic techniques failed to work, cultivation could not be carried out, and the spiritual energy felt peculiar and disjointed. Everything about it made him uneasy, leaving him constantly uncomfortable.
The return to the Nine Heavens was akin to a fish returning to water, a dragon returning to the sea.
This voyage, although initially marred by the provocation of ’Dongning Venerable,’ resulting in severe injuries that have yet to completely heal,
was incomparable to the gains he acquired in the Immortal Gate World. These minor setbacks paled in significance.
After one hundred and seventy-four years, he finally returned to Chongming Realm, and his possessions had transformed entirely.
Truly, he had returned loaded with treasure.
"Nine Heavens."
Chen Jichuan calmed his heart, looking around to observe his surroundings.
After exiting the Immortal Gate World, Chen Jichuan referred to the map left behind by Tuota Venerable and selected a location outside the borders of the Eight Immortal Courts and the Heavenly Venerate’s Dojos.
The vast wilderness stretched endlessly, barren and uninhabited.
Chen Jichuan’s sudden appearance did not attract attention.
The mortals and immortals in the Nine Heavens were far fewer compared to the Lower Realm and the Eight Layers Below. In the vast expanse of the Nine Heavens, encountering another person was relatively rare.
"The Nine Heavens is home to Immortal Sects, shrouded in immortal energy. Only those who achieve the Heavenly Venerate Realm can refine immortal energy from the spiritual energy to extend their lifespan."
From inheriting Tuota Venerable’s knowledge, Chen Jichuan gained significant understanding of the mysteries surrounding Chongming Realm.
The Eight Immortal Courts jointly govern the expansive Nine Heavens in a domineering manner. Without permission from the Immortal Courts, even a Third Realm Immortal cannot step into the Heavenly Realm.
Although ordinary Realm Immortals cannot refine immortal energy directly, cultivating in the Nine Heavens and refining spiritual energy will inevitably let them absorb a faint trace of it.
As numbers grow and time passes, the consumption of immortal energy becomes significant.
Immortal energy is precious and must be conserved wherever possible.
Thus, the Eight Immortal Courts collectively issued prohibitions, barring Realm Immortals from entering the Nine Heavens. Only the strength and ingenuity of Heavenly Venerates make it difficult for the Immortal Courts to prevent them entirely.
Even if measures are taken to guard against them, the allure of immortal energy for extending lifespan is sufficient to drive a recent Heavenly Venerate to risk everything.
How could the Eight Immortal Courts withstand this driving desire for longevity?
They could only compromise.
"I secured a permit from Yu Ming Immortal Venerable. Although I’m not a Heavenly Venerate, I possess a legal identity in the Nine Heavens that ensures I won’t be expelled by the Eight Immortal Courts."
Chen Jichuan walked through the Nine Heavens, marveling at its vast landscapes.
He had heard that originally, the four regions of Chongming Realm each only had eight layers of heavens, with no discovery of the Ninth Layer. However, over a million years ago, the Ninth Layer of Heaven suddenly opened up, attracting droves of Realm Immortals and Heavenly Venerates.
With the discovery of the Immortal Sects, battles raged continuously in the Nine Heavens.
It wasn’t until the emergence of the Nine Heavens’ first Immortal Venerable—Bixia Immortal Venerable, who established the Bixia Immortal Court—that the chaos began to subside.
Afterward, minor skirmishes persisted.
Over time, seven additional Heavenly Venerates ascended to the Fourth-order realm, achieving unparalleled combat power and establishing their own Immortal Courts.
Thus, the current structure of the Eight Immortal Courts of the Nine Heavens emerged.
Even the ’youngest’ Heavenly Venerate ascended over two hundred seventy thousand years ago.
"The Eight Immortal Courts have sealed off the Nine Heavens, making it difficult for ordinary Realm Immortals to ascend to the Upper Realm."
"They occupy thirty percent of the Nine Heavens’ territory."
"The Heavenly Venerates who don’t join the Immortal Courts have carved out their own dojos in the Nine Heavens, but their territories account for less than fifteen percent."
"More than half of the Nine Heavens remains desolate and uninhabited, extraordinarily perilous, and even Heavenly Venerates dare not venture there freely. However, such regions hold vast treasures."
Chen Jichuan walked the land, seeking a suitable location outside the Eight Immortal Courts to establish his dojo.
In truth, he had a specific goal.
Tuota Venerable spent half his life in the Nine Heavens, exploring the Heavenly Realm and investigating numerous dangerous yet remarkable treasure grounds in the barbaric wilderness. Among them, many were ideal for cultivation.
The Heavenly Venerate himself had set up a dojo in the Nine Heavens.
But Chen Jichuan chose not to visit that particular dojo in favor of a more appropriate selection.
...
In the northwest region of the Nine Heavens lies ’Fierce Bird Mountain.’
The mountains stretch endlessly, shrouded in misty rain. Named for the numerous ferocious avian creatures inhabiting the region—beasts of incredible speed, unmatched physical strength, and excessively savage nature.
Human visits to Fierce Bird Mountain are scarce, as dozens or hundreds of ferocious birds would swarm upon sight, even shaking the immortal light of Realm Immortals. Naturally, not many choose to cultivate here.
The dojo chosen by Chen Jichuan was precisely here.
"Though Fierce Bird Mountain is perilous, the various ferocious birds are bred in a treasure ground. These treasure grounds align with the Five Elements and are referred to by Tuota Venerable as ’Five Elements Origin Lands.’"
Tuota Venerable had explored this place before. However, due to the mindless and relentless nature of the ferocious birds, it was impossible to focus on cultivation with them continually swarming.
Without the peace required for enlightenment, even the best treasure ground is wasted.
To make matters worse, among these ferocious birds are the ’Five Elements Evil Birds,’ born in the ’Five Elements Origin Lands,’ masters of the ’Five Elements Escape Technique,’ and ubiquitous within the origin lands. Even if two or three are slain, their deaths within the origin land soon give rise to new life. A cycle of death and rebirth occurs, making their numbers unending for someone like Tuota Venerable.
They cannot be found, captured, or fully eradicated.
Thus, they are exceedingly troublesome.
Tuota Venerable tried countless strategies, and at best, managed to cultivate for twelve years in a ’Water Element Origin Land’ before decisively abandoning it.
A treasure of no great value, and yet too precious to cast aside.
Having noted this ’flawed treasure ground,’ the Heavenly Venerate left it for future generations.
From Tuota Venerable’s records of many unclaimed treasure grounds, Chen Jichuan carefully selected and ultimately decided upon the ’Fierce Bird Mountain.’
"The Five Elements Evil Birds are born from the Five Elements Origin Lands, possessing exceptional abilities but lacking intellect, driven purely by primal instinct. Their ferocious nature makes them extremely difficult to tame."
"Tuota Venerable once captured an evil bird and preached to it for eight hundred years, yet to no avail."
"The bird chose death, refusing to eat or drink until it perished."
Walking the mountain trails, Chen Jichuan observed the ferocious birds soaring above and discerned their essence with Insight. Among them were ’Five Elements Evil Birds,’ deliberately exposing his immortal light to lure them closer.
The Five Elements Evil Birds split into five types, each possessing unique divine attributes and extraordinary talents.
Their attacks could even shake Chen Jichuan’s Triple Immortal Light. If allowed free reign to attack in groups of hundreds or thousands, his immortal light would shatter in three to five hundred years, shaking the very foundation of his immortal path.
"All things generate and overcome one another."
"Immortal light is not invincible."
Chen Jichuan understood this principle and was unfazed. He knew that each of the Eight Immortal Courts kept similar types of ferocious birds and beasts. Though they were untamable and useless for direct combat, the courts leveraged these creatures to establish the ’Immortal Slaying Stage.’ Captured Realm Immortals placed within the ’Immortal Slaying Stage’ to be overwhelmed by countless ferocious birds—even a peak Third Realm Immortal with Nine Layers Immortal Light could only last three to five thousand years.
Luckily, raising ferocious birds was extremely demanding, a feat that only the Eight Immortal Courts could accomplish.
Even ordinary Heavenly Venerates struggled with this.
This was precisely why the Eight Immortal Courts wield such immense deterrent power over the lower realm’s Realm Immortals.
No matter how exalted one’s status in the lower realms—whether revered as a sect master or Daoist Ancestor—any disrespect toward the Immortal Courts could lead to a visit to the ’Immortal Slaying Stage,’ where death would become inevitable.
Fierce Bird Mountain was equivalent to a natural ’Immortal Slaying Stage.’
Chen Jichuan traversed the mountain, surveying all thirty-seven thousand peaks and forty-five ’Five Elements Origin Lands,’ growing increasingly satisfied.
"This is the place!"
With swift movement, he proceeded toward the nearest ’Fire-element Origin Land.’
...