Sect Master’s Immortal Journey

While Meng Zhang was adapting to the environment and recovering his strength, Jin LiTrue Monarch did not stay far away; instead, she earnestly guarded by her side. The Nine Heavens above were divided into numerous levels with vast regions. Their current location was relatively on the outskirts, and the level of danger was not high. However, exceptions existed, and even in such seemingly safe places, unforeseen dangers could arise.

As Jin LiTrue Monarch was casually surveying her surroundings with some boredom, behind her and Meng Zhang, a faint shadow appeared and slowly approached them, making no sound at all. Without even turning her head, Jin LiTrue Monarch struck out with her hand, releasing a sharp force that split the shadow in two. The two eerie bodies floated in the air, gently swaying up and down. Many gases spewed out from the bodies, quickly blending into the surroundings.

In the Nine Heavens, many of the rules of nature were different from the outside world. Though it was just a small difference, it felt like an entirely different realm. In this unique environment, many beings lived, including the common creatures known as Cloud Beasts.

Cloud Beasts were formed from special condensed clouds and naturally possessed various mystical abilities. Even the weakest Cloud Beasts were capable of combat strength surpassing a Foundation Building cultivator. Ordinary Cloud Beasts could rival a Gold Core cultivator, and the most powerful ones could even pose a threat to a Primordial Spirit cultivator.

Most Cloud Beasts, once killed, would quickly dissipate into clouds, leaving behind only a few useful materials. Jin LiTrue Monarch had encountered Cloud Beasts many times during her visits to the Nine Heavens. The one she casually killed earlier was a Cloud Beast with the strength of a Gold Core cultivator. In the past, it might have taken some effort to deal with such an opponent, but since advancing to the Primordial Spirit stage, she could end the battle with a wave of her hand.

Knowing that Cloud Beasts rarely carried any valuable loot, Jin LiTrue Monarch paid no attention to the creature's remains. Meanwhile, Meng Zhang was focused on recovering her strength, as it wouldn't matter if they encountered enemies even Jin LiTrue Monarch couldn't resist.

After adapting to the environment, Meng Zhang informed Jin LiTrue Monarch, who looked at her with some surprise. Jin LiTrue Monarch remembered that when she first came to the Nine Heavens, she appeared half-dead and weak. It took her two full days, with her master's company, to gradually recover. She believed that Meng Zhang, with his temperament, wouldn't pretend to be fine at this critical moment.

Impressed with Meng Zhang's adaptability, Jin LiTrue Monarch decided not to linger here any longer. She led Meng Zhang deeper into the Nine Heavens. From the outside, Nine Heavens appeared hazy and obscure, but inside, the terrain was just as complex and changeable. Cloud clusters of various sizes formed peculiar and maze-like shapes that constantly shifted, making the landscape ever-changing.

Due to the influence of the special rules of the Nine Heavens, these clouds were not as light and ethereal as they seemed from the outside. Some were as heavy as mountains, some as solid as rocks, and some were even special transformations of Cloud Beasts. Divine Sense of Gold Core Daoist Masters in the Nine Heavens would be greatly suppressed, making it difficult to extend their range. Their senses were also heavily obscured.

Meng Zhang tried multiple times, using her abilities like Deception Breaking Eye, to probe the surroundings but couldn't detect anything at a great distance. In the complex and ever-changing terrain, encountering danger without enough reaction time was a real concern.

Jin LiTrue Monarch had learned this lesson the hard way before, so she proceeded cautiously, reminding Meng Zhang from time to time. As a Primordial SpiritTrue Monarch, she could utilize the power of the Grand Dao to directly interact with the rules of heaven and earth. It was Jin LiTrue Monarch's first time coming here since achieving Primordial SpiritTrue Monarch status, so she also needed to familiarize herself with her new abilities and sense the surrounding rules of heaven and earth.

Finally, after trying various methods, Meng Zhang discovered that her own Spiritual Awareness still had some effect in this place. Spiritual Awareness was a mysterious sense that surpassed the five senses and Divine Sense. Powerful cultivators with strong Spiritual Awareness could sense opportunities and dangers in advance, and sometimes even foresee events.

In the Cultivation World, only Diviners usually trained their Spiritual Awareness and utilized its methods. Even someone like True Monarch Tian Zhu, who had a naturally strong Spiritual Awareness, found it difficult to fully unleash its potential due to the lack of training in Diviner heritage.

Until just before falling, he suddenly awakened and saw many future scenes. Although Meng Zhang wouldn't easily use the "Heavenly Insight" technique for divination, his own Spiritual Awareness allowed him to sense some dangers ahead. Meng Zhang's ability to perceive danger was almost on par with Jin LiTrue Monarch. If he hadn't deliberately concealed it, Jin LiTrue Monarch would probably have guessed his identity as a Diviner.

Jin LiTrue Monarch led Meng Zhang forward, avoiding various troubles while searching for the whereabouts of the Nine Heavens Refined Essence. Cultivation seniors in the Cultivation World had long summarized many experiences, such as which environments were suitable for the growth of the Nine Heavens Refined Essence and where it might appear. Although these experiences were not 100% accurate, they provided cultivators with a direction for their search. Without such experiences, cultivators would be wandering blindly and relying solely on luck in this place.

Although Jin LiTrue Monarch did not deliberately pass on her experiences to Meng Zhang, she didn't hide her actions either. Meng Zhang carefully observed Jin LiTrue Monarch's behavior while comparing it with what he had learned from Extreme Sword Spirit General.

The two of them were fortunate to make a gain shortly after entering the Nine Heavens. Jin LiTrue Monarch flew onto a cloud cluster like a mountain, beneath which was a large depression where a group of Cloud Beasts had made their nest. Over a dozen Cloud Beasts of various sizes lived there.

The variety of Cloud Beasts within the Nine Heavens was vast, and it was impossible for anyone to recognize the origin and species of each one. The group of Cloud Beasts before Jin LiTrue Monarch happened to be a species she recognized.

She directly made her move, releasing her Primordial SpiritTrue Monarch's imposing aura without reservation. A thunderball descended from the sky, landing in the midst of the Cloud Beasts. The group was thrown into chaos as they scattered in all directions, sensing that Jin LiTrue Monarch was not to be trifled with.

Jin LiTrue Monarch didn't bother with the fleeing Cloud Beasts. Instead, she flew to the mountain wall in front of the Cloud Beast nest and gently slashed her palm forward. The seemingly impenetrable mountain wall was easily cut open, and a colored light cluster the size of a chicken egg appeared amid the chaotic clouds. This was the goal of Meng Zhang's search in the Nine Heavens—the Nine Heavens Refined Essence.

The Nine Heavens Refined Essence existed between reality and illusion, almost imperceptible. Without sufficient cultivation base, one could only watch without being able to collect it. Jin LiTrue Monarch had used up a considerable amount of Nine Heavens Refined Essence during her breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit stage and the subsequent cultivation of Divine Abilities. The Nine Heavens Refined Essence she collected personally was not nearly enough, but fortunately, her master and True Monarch Tian Zhu had left her plenty.

For Jin LiTrue Monarch, the Nine Heavens Refined Essence was still the main resource she needed to collect with all her effort. She had many flaws and shortcomings, but one advantage was her generosity and lack of calculation. As an elder and Meng Zhang as a junior, she didn't want to monopolize the gains made today in front of him.

After hesitating for a moment, she casually waved her hand, and half of the Nine Heavens Refined Essence flew towards Meng Zhang's direction. Meng Zhang quickly took out a specially prepared jade bottle and carefully used the methods taught by Extreme Sword Spirit General to collect the Nine Heavens Refined Essence into the bottle. Although the cluster was only palm-sized, it was enough for Meng Zhang to use for half a month.

Jin LiTrue Monarch knew that Meng Zhang had the heritage of Taiyi Sect and mastered the method of absorbing and refining the Nine Heavens Refined Essence, so she didn't say much.

With today's successful start, both of their moods improved. Jin LiTrue Monarch and Meng Zhang continued forward, searching for the whereabouts of the Nine Heavens Refined Essence. Along the way, they encountered several groups of Cloud Beasts. If a group of Cloud Beasts didn't carry any valuable items, Jin LiTrue Monarch would usually disperse them directly.

The number of Cloud Beasts in the Nine Heavens was quite substantial, and their reproduction rate was not slow. Even with many cultivators entering here regularly, it was impossible to exterminate all the Cloud Beasts. Occasionally, they encountered a few Cloud Beasts that had value, and Jin LiTrue Monarch would kill them on the spot and collect their remains.

As a Gold Corelate stage cultivator, Meng Zhang was not entirely useless. He could assist Jin LiTrue Monarch in the battles, block the Cloud Beasts' escape routes, chase down the remnants, and finish them off.

Jin LiTrue Monarch did not mistreat Meng Zhang. She was always fair in her actions and occasionally would distribute some minor gains to him, so he wouldn't feel like he was doing all the work for nothing.

As they flew for half a day, they occasionally encountered Cloud Beasts with Primordial Spirit stage combat strength. At such times, Jin LiTrue Monarch became extremely cautious, carefully comparing the strengths of both sides and weighing the benefits of the battle. Most of the time, Jin LiTrue Monarch chose to avoid the fight altogether, leading Meng Zhang around the opponents and moving forward from different directions.

Jin LiTrue Monarch rarely made a move herself and was unable to successfully subdue her opponents on several occasions. After a fierce battle, either the Cloud Beasts would escape, or Jin LiTrue Monarch would realize that she had underestimated the opponent's strength and would have to retreat with Meng Zhang.

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