The Bingqi Realm, Annihilated!

Even within the Seventh Domain, Ye Mohan was considered among the top tier of powerhouses beneath the Eight Generals. Yet his Dao age already spanned several centuries, and he had been recruited into the Seventh Domain long ago. In truth, the Seventh Domain presented many Mahayana and Tribulation Transcendence cultivators with two choices. First, choose to join the Seventh Domain. Second, remain quietly in the outside world, strictly forbidden from shattering the boundary to ascend! Those who chose the former almost never left the Seventh Domain again. The second choice was even easier to understand. Cao Yan, however, had a lingering question in his heart. He looked toward Zhou Qingguo and Sun Changlin, frowning slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Seniors, there is something I do not understand. May I ask the two of you?" The two exchanged a glance and gestured for Cao Yan to speak freely. Cao Yan took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Since the Seventh Domain refuses to let you ascend, don't you hold any resentment in your hearts? Why do you still stay here, fighting and killing those descending immortals?" Hearing this, both men offered faint smiles. "Elder Sun, why don't you tell them?" A look of reminiscence crossed Sun Changlin's face as he murmured, "In the very beginning, it really was as you said—one couldn't help but feel bitter. But... once you've seen the battlefield with your own eyes, you'll understand. Those so-called immortals... are no different from mortals, their eyes brimmed with nothing but greed! To them, the Human Spirit Realm is a massive treasure vault; all they want is to pillage it! If we don't hold the line, our ultimate fate will be just like the Bingqi Realm's—the complete annihilation of an entire realm!" Cao Yan's breath hitched, his pupils contracting sharply! "The Bingqi Realm! Annihilated?!" "Could it be... *hiss*..." Both Cao Yan and Xiao Chen sucked in a sharp breath. They both knew their Eldest Sister-in-law's legacy came from Realm Lord Bingqi! Yet never had they imagined that the entire Bingqi Realm had been wiped out... Zhou Qingguo took over the conversation and said gently, "So what we do now is also for ourselves and our clansmen. If we don't want our realm destroyed, we must resist!" With that, the mystery weighing on Cao Yan and Xiao Chen's minds was finally cleared. So that was how it was... Sun Changlin sneered. "In my view, saying the immortals of the Immortal Realm treat those of the lower realms as penned livestock is hardly an exaggeration. We are the generation that watched Realm Lord Bingqi die in battle with our own eyes! That scene... was far too tragic... An entire realm slaughtered to the last soul!! How many lives was that..." As they spoke, Li Qingchan, the tavern proprietress, walked up carrying the wine jars. The grief on the old man's face vanished in an instant, replaced once again by the demeanor of an old drunkard. Tossing a storage ring to Li Qingchan, he laughed. "Settle the tab, settle the tab!" The woman smiled, caught the storage ring, swept it with her divine sense, and drew out a ledger to cross out a line. A broad smile spread across her face. "Not bad, not bad at all. Your tab-clearing speed over the past two years has been quite brisk. Take it easy, though. You're getting on in years—don't go getting yourself killed." Yet Sun Changlin took no offense, bursting into heartfelt laughter instead. "Can't die, won't die,哈哈哈! I still have to ascend to the Immortal Realm!" Li Qingchan smiled, then turned to Cao Yan and Xiao Chen, speaking gently, "Those who do not know are blameless; don't take it to heart. If you ever want to drink on credit in the future, just let me know." Once she departed, Xiao Chen and Cao Yan could hardly wait to taste the fine wine. Cao Yan raised his cup and drained it in a single gulp. It entered with a fiery, biting heat! Yet the aftertaste was sweet and bracing, like melting snow from an icy peak, leaving the mouth fragrant yet accompanied by a faint touch of bitterness and tartness. In an instant, stirred by the exquisite brew, countless memories surfaced in Cao Yan's mind! His eyes glazed over. Only when the surge of primal energy churned within his body did he snap back to his senses, hurriedly bringing it under control. Under the stimulation of the brew, his primal energy began circulating his cultivation method on its own, and the surging power showed signs of slow, steady growth. Furthermore, the hidden ailments that had accumulated within him over the years were gradually being mended by this gentle force! Cao Yan's eyes widened. Abruptly, he raised his cup again and took a small sip. Closing his eyes, he murmured softly, "Ice Heart Cold Orchid, Heavenly Demon Fiend Vine, Dewdrop Bodhi Fruit, Blazing Immortal Lotus..." Opening his eyes, Cao Yan could not help but exclaim, "This... the efficacy and precious spiritual plants in this are on par with a top-grade rank-eight pill! And they're used just to brew wine?" And those were only the ones he could taste; beyond them, this Red Dust Brew contained at least dozens of other heavenly and earthly spirit herbs—perhaps even more! Moreover, the brewing technique was without question a closely guarded secret, perhaps even assisted by formation arrays! Zhou Qingguo could not help chuckling. "Otherwise, why do you think Lady Li's Red Dust Brew can only be bought with immortal crystals?" Xiao Chen frowned. "Immortal crystals?" Sun Changlin savored his wine thoroughly. Keeping his eyes closed to relish the aftertaste, he said softly, "A single first-grade immortal crystal of the lowest tier can be exchanged at a premium for one hundred and twenty purple gold crystals." As he spoke, Sun Changlin retrieved a crystal from his storage ring. Entirely translucent and milky-white, it was about half the size of a palm. The crystal radiated an indescribable aura of immortal spiritual energy, several times purer than the spiritual energy of the Human Spirit Realm! It could even be absorbed directly without refining! The white crystal had sharp, well-defined edges and a smooth surface, through which one could faintly see the circulation of immortal energy within. Beside them, Zhou Qingguo gave a gentle laugh. "However, we do not yet have the ability to draw out the immortal spiritual energy inside. Besides... on this first tier, immortal spiritual energy simply dissipates. Thus, only upon breaking through to the Tribulation Transcendence realm can one absorb a fraction of the immortal energy within." Xiao Chen could not resist asking, "Where do these immortal crystals come from?" Sun Changlin glanced at him as if looking at a fool. "From the immortals we kill, of course! They're all spoils of war." Realization dawned upon the two. It seemed the slaughter between the mortal and immortal realms was far more brutal than they had ever imagined. "Drink, drink! Things up above have quieted down a lot lately, just in time for us to get a good rest," Zhou Qingguo said, taking a sip and sighing. "Before long, those above will surely find another way to attack the Human Spirit Realm. When that time comes, another bloodbath will be inevitable." Yet just as he reached out his hand, Sun Changlin smacked it away, feigning outrage. "If you want to drink, buy your own! You old bastard, you're even older than me, yet you still damn well freeload off me!" Zhou Qingguo smiled sheepishly. "Come on, it's just two sips of your wine. What's with the stinginess?" Sun Changlin paid him no heed, pulling the wine jar directly before himself to guard it. "Shove off! If you want to drink, go buy it yourself." Seeing this, the cultivators at the neighboring tables burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Old Zhou, didn't I tell you that you wouldn't get more than three cups out of him?" "Old Sun, you too—why be so stingy? Let's all drink together next time!" Sun Changlin stomped his feet and shouted, "You old bastards aren't any better! Last time you were drinking, you only spared me a single cup! Letting him have two cups is already giving him face for doing all the talking—otherwise, one would have been plenty! Off with you!" Zhou Qingguo took no offense; managing to get two cups of wine out of Sun Changlin was already more than enough. Laughing heartily, he stood to leave. "I hope you young friends adapt here as quickly as possible, so that one day we may slay the enemy together on the battlefield!" Cao Yan and Xiao Chen hurried to their feet and raised a cup in toast.