Sect Leader Ye could not fathom how the Vast Sea Sect had suddenly gained so many Ascended Immortals!
On this wasteland after the war between immortals and demons, no major power had possessed over a hundred Ascended Immortals for a very long time.
Legends spoke of the distant primordial era, when cultivators who survived the Great Ascension Tribulation could enjoy eternal bliss and endless lifespan.
Thus, over countless ages, the number of immortals in the world once reached twelve thousand, a Yuan number.
But at some point, cultivators on this land, after entering the Ascended Immortal realm, had to undergo another immortal tribulation every thousand years.
With each tribulation survived, their immortal essence would become purer, and their strength would surge, which was the origin of the nine levels of Ascended Immortals.
However, as these were tribulations, they represented immense risk. Many Ascended Immortals who should have existed forever ultimately turned to dust in the increasingly powerful immortal tribulations.
Since the advent of immortal tribulations, the number of Ascended Immortals in the world never regained its former glory.
To cope with the ever-strengthening immortal tribulations, cultivators continuously refined their methods of protecting the Dao, eventually developing various means to delay the descent of immortal tribulations. Elder Li, for instance, was skilled in such delaying techniques.
Simultaneously, in addition to delaying tribulations, cultivators also accidentally developed the method of provoking tribulations.
This involved actively drawing upon the immortal tribulation’s power to push oneself to higher realms, without waiting for a thousand years after becoming an Ascended Immortal. However, only the prodigies within each sect dared to employ this method.
For example, Mei Yingxue, the Vice Leader of the Four Seasons Association, had provoked tribulations three times. At just over a thousand years old, she was already a Dharma Body mighty being at the fifth level of Ascended Immortals.
Both delaying and provoking tribulations had their advantages and disadvantages.
Delaying tribulations typically stemmed from cultivators’ fear of the increasingly powerful immortal tribulations, believing they could not survive them, and thus striving to prolong their existence.
While temporarily gaining safety, they were almost certain to perish when the ultimate tribulation descended.
Provoking tribulations, on the other hand, was a bold attempt born from extreme self-confidence, as the lack of several thousand years of accumulation would inevitably weaken their foundation.
However, cultivation valued valiant progress, and there were always formidable individuals who, in just a few thousand years, leaped through seven tribulations, crossing the threshold of ascension, thus becoming free from tribulations and worries.
Cultivators on the primordial continent, after reaching the seventh level of Ascended Immortals, had two choices: one was to break through the boundaries of heaven and earth and ascend to the Nine Heavens and Nine Earths.
According to information transmitted from the higher sects of the Ten Great Sects, the Nine Heavens and Nine Earths were the true realms of immortals and demons, where Ascended Immortals no longer faced the worry of thousand-year tribulations.
Moreover, within the Nine Heavens and Nine Earths, there were even the legendary Void Refining Heavenly Lords.
However, besides ascension, there was another path for those at the seventh level of Ascended Immortals.
That was to remain in this world and undergo the tempering of immortal tribulations.
But countless mighty beings at the ninth level of Ascended Immortals had, at the cost of their blood and lives, warned future generations of the tragic end of this path.
After surviving nine immortal tribulations, a cultivator’s immortal essence would reach a state of perfection, a realm where no further progress was possible even in the Nine Heavens and Nine Earths.
But while cultivation had an end, the heavens and earth did not.
Even if you survived nine immortal tribulations and reached the pinnacle of the mortal realm, as long as you remained in this world, a great tribulation would still descend every thousand years, and it would become stronger each time!
Therefore, the path of remaining in the world was fundamentally a dead end!
The other families among the Ten Great Sects possessed no more than twenty Ascended Immortals each.
The Great Zhen, the foremost power on the primordial continent, had, on the surface, barely over a hundred True Immortals.
Previously, the Vast Sea Sect, isolated overseas, had also occupied the last vestiges of the demon race’s fortune, so having several dozen Ascended Immortals in a single sect was already an anomaly.
But compared to the over a thousand hidden Ascended Immortals that the Dharma Body experts before them could see, even if all the surviving Ascended Immortals on the entire primordial continent were unearthed, they likely wouldn’t match this number!
Disregarding his foolish son’s ramblings, Sect Leader Ye smiled gently again at the two rows of cultivators who had come to greet them.
He had no choice but to smile. While Dharma Bodies were stronger than Rainbow Transformation, cultivator battles involved multiple factors.
Cultivation, magical treasures, formations, terrain, physical bodies, techniques, and other factors could all influence the outcome of a battle.
As a powerful being at the sixth level of Ascended Immortals, Sect Leader Ye also wished to maintain a cool demeanor.
However, faced with over a thousand Rainbow Transformation cultivators, if each were to wield a magical treasure and attack him with full force, even a Dharma Body would be pulverized into dust!
With a smiling face but cold sweat running down his back, Sect Leader Ye walked the long welcoming path.
Not only Sect Leader Ye of the Immortal Water Sect, but the Dharma Bodies from other Ten Great Sects and various immortal dynasties also subtly gathered together as they walked this path.
There was no other way; the scene of being surrounded by over a thousand Ascended Immortals was too terrifying, and they were all a little frightened.
However, as the Dharma Bodies remained vigilant, they could not help but feel a surge of excitement as they gazed at the Vast Sea Small World, which was drawing closer in the distance.
The Ten Great Sects knew each other’s capabilities thoroughly. The Vast Sea Sect had absolutely not possessed so many Ascended Immortals before!
Furthermore, although the methods used by these thousand-plus Ascended Immortals to conceal their auras were extremely brilliant, even capable of deceiving Ascended Immortals of the same level,
The Dharma Bodies could discern that the auras of these thousand-plus Ascended Immortals were very nascent, likely having all undergone the Great Ascension Tribulation very recently!
Upon recalling the rare treasures that had appeared earlier, which might have been the very things that helped the Vast Sea Sect create the spiritual liquid waterfall and even produce so many Ascended Immortals in such a short time, these Dharma Bodies were all unwilling to leave!
Even if it were a dragon’s den, they would brave it!
And as the Dharma Bodies became more amiable, the true disciples and cultivators from various smaller sects, though finding it strange, also became more subdued under the inexplicable atmosphere.
…
The cultivators from the various sects and immortal dynasties, led by Linglong, slowly walked towards the misty world beyond the great gates.
Within the Heavenly Curtain Gate, spiritual rain of mysterious colors continuously sprinkled across the heavens and earth. In the mist, immortal mountains were hidden behind the rain.
As the cultivators crossed the ten-thousand-foot-tall great gate, they arrived on a small island floating on a blue sea.
Seeing the misty rain within the small world, the cultivators naturally activated the spiritual energy within their bodies to protect themselves, warding off the external rain.
After all, how could cultivators allow themselves to be battered by wind and rain?
The Dharma Bodies, moreover, had long since circulated their immortal essence to isolate themselves from the outside, just in case.
However, Qi Sha, following closely behind Linglong, was not so particular. Her blood armor was sufficient for protection, and a little wind and rain was nothing.
But the rain, carrying mysterious colors, silently merged into her body the moment it touched Qi Sha.
Sensing the anomaly, Qi Sha’s steps faltered. She quickly sensed her internal state.
But in the next moment, without a word, she directly removed her ghoul helmet, controlled her immortal essence, and began to absorb the spiritual rain all around the island, looking up at the sky!
The other cultivators, seeing this, thought Qi Sha had gone mad.
But those with quick minds felt a stir in their hearts and quietly reduced their spiritual energy defenses.