Chapter 616: One-Year Deadline
The Demon-Suppressing Zhao Family houses several Immortal Emperor level powerhouses!
With Shen Feng's current cultivation, despite the myriad of methods he possesses, he is inevitably no match for Immortal Emperor powerhouses.
He had long conjectured that the person who stole Lan Binghan's Lotus Heart and destroyed his small world was no ordinary individual. Yet, he never expected that within a single family, there would be several Immortal Emperor powerhouses!
One must understand that in the Immortal Realm Territory where Shen Feng originated, even within the most powerful Great Sects, there typically would be only one Immortal Emperor present, and at most two. Handling the Demon-Suppressing Zhao Family would certainly not be easy.
Now, the only thing Shen Feng could do was to rapidly increase his cultivation. No matter how many Immortal Emperors the Demon-Suppressing Zhao Family had, he was determined to annihilate them all. He always enjoyed tackling challenges head-on and rising amidst adversity.
Jiang Zhuyu and the others looked at Shen Feng, who furrowed his brows. They still hadn't connected the Shen Feng before them with the Carefree Immortal Emperor.
Hu Fangmei couldn't help but say, "If you ask me, there's nothing so great about the Demon-Suppressing Zhao Family. It's said they never took the Carefree Immortal Emperor, who disappeared back then, seriously."
"However, after they learned about the methods of refining medicine and artifact refining created by the Carefree Immortal Emperor, they spared no effort in collecting them. Unfortunately, the true inheritance of the Carefree Immortal Emperor was only obtained by his three disciples."
"Still, the Carefree Immortal Emperor did make public some of his own methods for refining medicine and such, and those were indeed collected by the Demon-Suppressing Zhao Family."
Shen Feng vividly remembered the image he had deduced previously, that the person who took Lan Binghan's heart was incredibly disdainful toward him, boldly claiming he was a genius from the barbaric lands.
It seemed that at the time, that person definitely hadn't learned about the entirely new methods of refining medicine, artifact refining, and talisman crafting created by Shen Feng.
Jiang Zhuyu continued, "That's right, if the Carefree Immortal Emperor hadn't vanished back then, with his abilities, he might have continued to create unimaginable miracles."
Looking at Shen Feng, she said, "In the Lower Realm of today, many methods of refining medicine and so forth originate from what the Carefree Immortal Emperor once made public. Regardless, the Carefree Immortal Emperor holds a very high status among many cultivators of the Lower Realm."
"It's just that the Demon-Suppressing Zhao Family was unscrupulously shameless back then. They didn't allow anyone to record their destruction of the Carefree Immortal Emperor's small world or their collection of methods he created. Otherwise, these sects would be annihilated by them."
"Indeed, quite a number of powers really were wiped out by the Demon-Suppressing Zhao Family. You know, in the Immortal Realm's Lower, Middle, and Upper Realms, only Immortal Emperor level powerhouses can freely travel between them."
"For the Demon-Suppressing Zhao Family, traveling to the Lower Realm is a trifling matter."
"Later on, the Three Realms established a rule; Immortal Emperors from the Middle Realm are not to venture into the Lower Realm on their own, and Immortal Emperors from the Upper Realm are forbidden from going to the Middle and Lower Realms at will. Otherwise, they would face collective opposition from the Three Realms."
"From that moment on, the Lower Realm gradually became more peaceful. Still, the truth about the Carefree Immortal Emperor's small world and other related matters being destroyed was scarcely recorded in ancient books. However, those that record the Carefree Immortal Emperor's past deeds are almost everywhere to be seen."
"Of course, if an Immortal Emperor emerges in the Lower Realm, they are not constrained and can freely travel to the Middle or Upper Realm."
"And Immortal Emperors from the Middle Realm can also travel to the Upper Realm on their own."
After pausing for a few seconds, Jiang Zhuyu's mouth curled into a bitter smile, saying, "However, from a certain moment onwards, the Lower Realm not only stopped producing Immortal Emperors but also fell far behind the Middle and Upper Realms, becoming incomparable to them."
"As far as the current Upper and Middle Realms are concerned, the entire Lower Realm is merely a rubbish heap."
Listening to what Hu Fangmei and Jiang Zhuyu had said, Shen Feng finally understood why he couldn't find the information he sought in the Library Pavilion. The Demon-Suppressing Zhao Family really was depraved. He had roughly seen the requirements for traveling to the Middle Realm in the Library Pavilion, although they were somewhat vague. He asked, "When is the next Dragon Leap Gate?"
The so-called Dragon Leap Gate was an opportunity to advance to the Middle Realm.
Every hundred years, the Great Sects from the Middle Realm would use various means to select a group of disciples with exceptional talents from the Lower Realm.
These selected disciples could directly leave the Lower Realm using the means of the Middle Realm Sects.
Being able to arrive at the Middle Realm from the Lower Realm and then join the Sects there was why it was called the Dragon Leap Gate!
In the Middle Realm, the Dragon Leap Gate was referred to as the Welcoming Assembly, implying that it was an event to guide useful individuals from the Lower Realm to their Middle Realm.
It was said that every Dragon Leap Gate was extremely cruel, often leading to the downfall of many geniuses from the Lower Realm.
Of course, Supreme Elders and Sect Masters from the various Sects in the Lower Realm would also participate in the Dragon Leap Gate. Despite their prestigious status, they too aspired to venture into the Middle Realm, for the Cultivation they could reach in the Lower Realm was limited.
Having heard Shen Feng's questions,
Gao Huiying replied, "The next Dragon Leap Gate is in one year."
They didn't think too much about it, figuring Shen Feng had emerged from the wilderness and naturally wasn't knowledgeable about the outside world. Thus, they considered his questions neither surprising nor alarming.
Seeing Shen Feng's silence,
Gao Huiying continued, "To participate in the Dragon Leap Gate, your cultivation must at least reach the Nascent Variation Stage. Of course, if you possess other special skills, it's possible that some Sects of the Middle Realm might directly absorb you."
The special skills she referred to naturally included those of Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, Talisman Masters, and Spirit Chefs, and so on.
Of course, if the grades of professions like Alchemists were too low, the Sects of the Middle Realm probably wouldn't take an interest.
In the view of Gao Huiying and her companions, Shen Feng's Fourth Grade Spirit Chef identity should be sufficient to be directly absorbed by some Sects.
"Zhuyu will also participate in the Dragon Leap Gate a year from now. If you wish to go, you could join her then," Gao Huiying sighed and said. She herself had no intention of taking part in the Dragon Leap Gate, feeling that she had grown old, and even if she went to the Middle Realm, there likely wouldn't be much of a future for her. She would be better off staying in the Lower Realm to look after the Hundred Flower Sect.
Shen Feng nodded and said, "Indeed, I wish to go to the Middle Realm!"
Upon hearing this,
Xue Wanyue, who had been silent, suddenly furrowed her brows. Her cultivation was only at the initial stage of the Nascent Soul, a good distance away from the Nascent Variation Stage. She had not originally planned to take part in the Dragon Leap Gate a year later, but for some reason, she now resolved to try her best to participate in the coming year's Dragon Leap Gate.
Shen Feng, of course, couldn't know the thoughts in Xue Wanyue's mind as he immersed himself in contemplation.
Although he was aware that with enough energy, his Cultivation could rapidly increase, the higher the Cultivation, the greater the geometric growth of energy needed. To recover the Cultivation of his days as the Immortal Emperor, he couldn't fathom the vastness of energy required!
But no matter what, he had to reach the Middle Realm by the next Dragon Leap Gate within a year.
Before that, he needed to find the Undead Monster Scorpion, the Void Mysterious Turtle, and Xia Baikang, among others. He wondered how they were faring in the Lower Realm now?