dognovel Chapter 448 Golden Cloud Secret Realm
Chapter 448 Golden Cloud Secret Realm
Dressed in white, Shangguan Xiaoxiao stood on the ethereal clouds, looking like a fairy. Her black hair cascaded down, and her bright eyes were as radiant as ever!
In an instant, countless memories flooded Li Lan's mind.
Shangguan Xiaoxiao can be said to be the person who has been with him the longest.
Back when he had just crossed over to the underworld and was still in the Great Li Dynasty, Shangguan Xiaoxiao had already been intimate with him.
He once gifted her five thousand years of Chinese poetry and prose from ancient times to the present.
Later in the underworld, the two fought side by side. Li Lan even once, in a fit of rage for his beloved, snatched her away from the hands of a foreign race in the underworld.
Later, the underworld withered, and Li Lan traversed the realms of all living beings, parting ways with Shangguan Xiaoxiao.
Until Shangguan Xiaoxiao reappeared in the Samsara Palace in the Yang Realm, she guided Li Lan and pushed the Void Heaven Realm to become real.
It was then that Li Lan learned about Shangguan Xiaoxiao's background.
In her previous life, she was a pure lotus in the Heavenly Emperor's Pool.
In this life, she is Shangguan Xiaoxiao, bright and natural, poised and generous. She never bothers to hide her feelings; love is love and hate is hate. She is always independent and never depends on anyone.
Even with Li Lan, she sought to walk side by side, never relying on him.
Now, they meet again, and she saves Li Lan once more.
"You've lost some weight compared to before."
Li Lan looked at her and said softly.
Shangguan Xiaoxiao has indeed lost some weight.
"In this other shore, the struggle is like fire, and the torment is like boiling water; how can one not grow thin?"
She smiled and said, "But now that you're here, I won't have to worry about you so much anymore."
As she spoke, she bowed to the old man and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Qi. Has the Chuyuan Clan discovered anything unusual?"
Mr. Qi smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, my cloak is still tainted with a lot of strange energy, and the information is accurate. Chu Dao's cultivation level is still low, so I don't think he can see any flaws."
"Okay, thank you!"
Shangguan Xiaoxiao thanked him and then said to Li Lan, "Come with me."
……
Soon after.
Li Lan and Shangguan Xiaoxiao stepped into a grassy field, surrounded by the fragrance of flowers, fluttering butterflies, and flowing spring water. Everything before them was incredibly beautiful.
Li Lan couldn't help but sigh softly, saying with longing, "No wonder people yearn for the other shore so much. Cultivating in such a precious and pure land, one can truly be free from all worries and transcend all obstacles."
"Unfortunately, the other shore ultimately remains empty."
But Shangguan Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, "Now, in the entire Other Shore World, there are only three or five scattered pure lands left."
Li Lan asked gravely, "What exactly happened?"
That place must have had a glorious past, where countless powerful creatures once lived, and it must have truly been an eternal paradise. But why has it become so desolate now?
"do not know."
Shangguan Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, "I've only heard a few legends."
"Some say that in ancient times, several of the most powerful beings from the otherworld sought to trace the origins of the otherworld. They explored the plateaus of the otherworld, where they unearthed some astonishing things. However, they also awakened an unspeakable being, and thus, the entire otherworld was corrupted..."
"The powerful forces turned into a ghostly land, and the supreme strongmen transformed into indescribable creatures. Some forces that had not yet been corrupted resisted with all their might, and the Great War of the Other Shore broke out. However, they were ultimately defeated by the things on the plateau, and thus, the Other Shore fell."
"Some say that the entire existence of the Other Shore is nothing but a dream. When the dream goes smoothly, it is an eternal paradise. But when the dream deteriorates, all living beings will face the nightmare of doomsday..."
"Some experts also believe that it's because a supreme expert has taken an unthinkable step forward. Reaching eternity is the ultimate goal, but wanting to go any further will inevitably attract misfortune..."
"There are even rumors that the other shore was originally free of evil, but the malice in people's hearts tainted the other shore, causing the flowers of evil to bloom in this pure land. When the flowers of evil bloom, even gods will fall and sages will go mad... In fact, during the ancient war, something called the flower of evil did bloom and killed some extremely ancient giants."
She explained everything in detail, but Li Lan was shocked.
Both legends are astonishing.
On the plateau beyond, something terrifying is buried; if it were dug up, it would pollute the entire world.
Or perhaps, this place called the Other Shore is actually a dream? How could that be? What kind of being could have a dream that becomes reality and encompass all living beings in the world?
What exactly is the flower of evil that can cause even saints to fall?
……
He vaguely realized that the past on the other side held too many secrets.
"In short, after the ancient war, most areas of the Other Shore changed. The rules of heaven and earth deteriorated completely. The Pure Land was gone, and everything was dead and silent. Those who were originally extraordinary beings have all degenerated into indescribable creatures..."
"Only a few places, such as Moke Cave, Jinyun Mountain, and the Sword Burial Pool, can still be preserved, becoming the last secret pure land in the other shore."
The area where Li Lan is now located belongs to one of the most secret and sacred places – Jinyun Mountain!
"The founders of Jinyun Mountain were 108 sages. All 108 sages had achieved true eternal enlightenment, but in the end, they all perished by self-immolation, merging their lives into the mountains and rivers, thus preserving this land."
She spoke slowly.
"Several other top-secret sacred lands also have similar causes and effects. In the Moke Cave, a great Buddha sacrificed himself to create that sacred land. The Sword Pool was formed by three thousand top sword cultivators who poured their lives into their swords, creating the strongest barrier..."
Before she could finish speaking, Li Lan had already whispered two words:
"Karma".
Karma is indescribable, formless and intangible.
However, karma is very special and can only be obtained by "creating karma".
Pangu created the world, benefiting all ages, and providing a place for all living beings to survive. Therefore, his achievements were as great as the heavens, and he was the head of the ancestral gods.
Nuwa created humans and mended the sky, sacrificing her life to protect the peace of all races under heaven. Therefore, she is remembered by the world and revered as an ancestral deity totem.
Suirenshi invented fire by drilling wood. A single spark of fire illuminated the path in the darkness, and countless living beings were grateful for it.
……
This is what is meant by "karma".
Karma is not a single kind. For example, Bai Qi, the God of Slaughter, once killed hundreds of thousands of lives in a single battle. The First Emperor of Qin once burned books and buried scholars alive, and destroyed all the weapons in the world. This is the karma of evil.
However, once karma is formed, one gains the ability to influence cause and effect.
It is precisely for this reason that many ancestral gods were able to seal the entire other shore through karma.
This is something that Li Lan could only glimpse after transcending cause and effect and forging his own path.
"It seems you understand."
Shangguan Xiaoxiao nodded approvingly and said, "Your karma is very strong right now."
Her eyes were clear and bright; with just a casual glance, she seemed to have already seen through everything.
"The 108 peaks of Jinyun Mountain each possess their own unique secrets of creation, but none of them seem to be of much use to you."
She then spoke.
The mountains on the other shore have scriptures, the waters have laws, and every blade of grass and every tree has its own techniques. All living beings on the other shore learn from these teachings.
If cultivators from beyond the other shore were to arrive, they would be overjoyed, for any method or technique here far surpasses that of the turbid mortal world.
The laws and principles of the turbid world were almost all created by geniuses in the mortal world who observed the heavens and the earth.
But even the most brilliant genius cannot compare to the wonders of nature. The great Dao created will always have its flaws, but the Dao of Creation can achieve the perfection of the great Dao.
But... there are always exceptions.
For example, the Heavenly Emperor's laws and principles are so powerful that even the Primordial Clan from the Other Shore can only look up to him, and even beings from the Other Shore must take notice of him.
Take Li Lan for example.
Li Lan can now be said to have exhausted all the Dao in the chaotic world, transcending the boundary between existence and non-existence, and has already developed his own Dao since the Immortal Realm.
This path was entirely his own creation, so the laws and principles of the Golden Cloud Mountain Secret Realm were meaningless to him.
Li Lan nodded. Shangguan Xiaoxiao was right; he no longer needed the inheritance here.
The only thing that was useful to him was the environment here—providing ample spiritual energy, Taoist charm, and primordial matter.
After all, his cultivation consumption was too astonishing. Just the Immortal Realm alone had already consumed a massive amount of energy. If he were to advance further, probably no force in the Chaotic World could afford it.
It would probably take draining the power of a clan like the Primordial Ones.
"You can choose any main peak to stay on and create the next realm first."
She said, "Until then, we should lie low. As for news about you, only Mr. Qi and I know about it within Jin Yun Mountain."
"Mr. Qi's name is Qi Wangtian. He once saw the illusory image of the Heavenly Emperor and attained enlightenment. He can be considered a follower of the Heavenly Emperor. You can trust him."
Mr. Qi, the old man who went to welcome Li Lan, has a very high level of cultivation!
“There is also mutual infiltration between the various Pure Lands and the alienated Silent Lands. Otherwise, we would not have been able to find out that you were being targeted by the Dark River… Therefore, it is best for you not to expose yourself here for the time being.”
She gave him solemn instructions.
This place appears peaceful on the surface, but there is a hidden tension beneath the surface.
Li Lan nodded, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Is there no scripture on that mountain peak?"
His gaze fell upon a low mountain peak, which appeared to have been broken and paled in comparison to the towering peaks surrounding it.
Moreover, there were no magnificent Taoist palaces or spiritual residences on the mountain peak, making it appear quite desolate.
"Tian Shi Peak".
Shangguan Xiaoxiao said, "This mountain was once the strongest of the 108 peaks. Unfortunately, in that great battle, the peak master led the entire mountain to fight the enemy. He died, and the mountain collapsed."
"There are no cultivators on this mountain now... no, there is still one, the peak master, Gu Shouzhou."
"Master Gu Shouzhou has lived on the mountain peak for thousands of years, never once stepping down..."
Upon hearing this, Li Lan nodded and said, "This mountain peak... is quite suitable for me."
If one were to cultivate on other mountains, in order to conceal one's true nature, one would inevitably have to waste some time and energy learning, disguising oneself as an "ordinary disciple," and after a period of time, revealing some of one's extraordinary abilities, so that the people there would gradually accept one's existence...
But Tian Shi Peak was much quieter this day. He didn't need to make any unnecessary pretense, and no one would pay special attention to him.
You can focus on your cultivation now!
Shangguan Xiaoxiao looked slightly surprised, but then nodded. What Li Lan said made sense.
"I'll take you there."
Immediately, the two headed towards Tianshi Peak, and soon they were already on a mountain path covered with weeds.
Even the famous monument on the mountain peak is broken in two and scattered among the weeds, ignored by everyone. Along the way to the summit, you can also see many ruins left from ancient times.
Those once glorious Taoist palaces have now become hiding places for snakes, insects, rats, and ants.