The elders didn’t take long to reach a consensus.
The Misty Illusion Secret Realm is universally acknowledged as a treasure trove. Now that there are plans to reopen it, it’s certain that people will be sent in, despite the dangers lurking within and the ill intentions of the Heavenly Human Clan and the Calamity Fate Palace.
The key is that the other party is also unaware of the true strength of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace. With Mu Yinghua’s confidence in their unpreparedness, just like last time, she plans to send tens of thousands of experts to secretly collect various rare resources and then have Qing Muling transport them back using his divine abilities.
After the last closure of the secret realm, the massive amount of rare resources significantly enhanced the overall strength of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace. The magical artifacts distributed to all the disciples, whether they were serving, outer, or inner disciples, were almost all upgraded by one grade. The core disciples received artifacts that were upgraded by two grades, and the monthly allocation of pills and other cultivation resources also saw a significant increase.
The benefits of this approach were beginning to show. The disciples’ cultivation efficiency and strength improved faster, and the likelihood of injury or death during their adventures decreased noticeably. Over time, more suitable core disciples would emerge, strengthening the foundation and heritage of the sect.
Furthermore, all the debts Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had accumulated over the years were almost paid off, and there was even spare capacity to exchange resources with other powers, purchase more urgently needed cultivation resources, expand the scale of nurturing new disciples, and increase the strategic resource reserves of the sect.
Not to mention, after the repair of the main altar, the overall fortune of the sect increased, the concentration of spiritual energy on the giant landmass significantly rose, which further improved the efficiency of healing and cultivation, and even the failure rate of pill concoction and artifact refinement decreased considerably. The various tangible and intangible benefits are too numerous to mention in detail.
If this time, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace can transport more resources back from the secret realm, it’s possible that after the calamity of the Magic Clan passes, the sect’s high-level officials could consider a significant expansion, or even the possibility of standing on equal footing with the Dao Court.
“There’s still half a year before the Misty Illusion Secret Realm officially opens. We have just enough time to make meticulous preparations and arrange for more reliable personnel and large-capacity spatial artifacts,” said Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord, who did not participate last time but had entered the secret realm before her injury and slumber, so she was naturally familiar with the situation inside.
Mu Yinghua smiled, “Of course.”
After the last closure of the secret realm, the sect’s high-level officials had foreseen this possibility and had secretly purchased and ordered many large-capacity spatial artifacts through various channels. They also mobilized the high-level elders within the sect to refine a batch, with the effect of time acceleration formations, making this task convenient and quick.
In any case, the space within the phantom of Qing Muling’s Blue Lotus leaf had expanded significantly, and it was nothing for him to carry tens of thousands of spatial artifacts at once. One round trip could bring back a staggering amount of rare resources.
Another task was to construct enough worlds for resource storage, which was not a problem either. Now the sect had many True Immortals and above, with ample manpower and resources to handle this.
“I think we shouldn’t waste this half-year. Junior Brother’s cultivation could still be improved, right?” Yu Lingzhou suggested. Destiny Realm’s cultivation was certainly not low, but the Misty Illusion Secret Realm could accommodate up to the Ascending to Immortality realm, so if Qing Muling could timely transcend the Feather Transformation Tribulation and enhance his divine abilities, he would have even more self-protection.
Mu Yinghua said, “Muling can transcend the Feather Transformation Tribulation without any issues. The key is that he still lacks the necessary heavenly merits. We’ll have to rely on the efforts of all the senior and junior sisters to quickly settle this matter and hope we can make it in time.”
The elders nodded in agreement, and the matter was settled.
After the meeting, as Qing Muling was about to leave, Yu Lingzhou approached him with a smile, her voice crisp, “Junior Brother, shall we continue to eat out? I can also teach you how to cook.”
Before he could answer, Yueyi Heavenly Lord’s cool and pleasant voice rang out, “What’s there to learn about cooking? Junior Brother might as well come to my cave dwelling. I can teach you talisman drawing, which would be another divine skill to have when traveling outside, wouldn’t that be better?”
She stepped forward and took Qing Muling’s arm, giving Yu Lingzhou a warning glance: Last time you took advantage of a slight oversight, but this time you can’t compete with me again!
Yu Lingzhou stood her ground, “Why learn to draw talismans? Junior Brother has been tired enough these days and needs to relax properly, don’t you think?”
Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord said with a smile, “Rest is indeed necessary. There are many hot springs in my Dao Court branch, all nourished by the earth’s energy day and night, with spirit water that soothes fatigue and benefits the body and divine soul. Junior Brother, why not visit and enjoy a good soak in the hot springs with me? Wouldn’t that be delightful?”
Qing Muling: “…”
Once they started, the rest of the elders were also moved. Given the current situation within the sect, whoever Qing Muling grew close to would receive an added boost of fortune, the only difference being the extent. Of course, Mu Yinghua’s direct disciples still benefited the most.
If they could find an opportunity to get on good terms with Qing Muling, the benefits would be considerable, and at the very least, there would be no harm. Thus, the elders all began to entertain the idea.
“Why don’t you three stop fighting? Muling needs to stay for now. I have something to discuss with him,” Mu Yinghua’s voice came just in time, granting Qing Muling, who was caught in a dilemma, a great relief. He readily agreed, naturally extricating himself from the enthusiastic entanglement of his senior sisters.
Yu Lingzhou and the other two women exchanged glances and reluctantly gave up, even the Supreme Sect Master had personally intervened, what more could they say?
When only the master and disciple were left in the cave dwelling, Qing Muling still climbed onto the cloud bed with agile movements and wrapped his arms around Mu Yinghua’s waist from behind.
“Don’t mess around!”
Mu Yinghua turned her head and glared at him reproachfully, “If it weren’t for your teacher saving you just now, you would have been tricked by those three into being exploited in turn. Really… why did you provoke them?”
Qing Muling was equally helpless, “I didn’t provoke them; they were the ones fixated on me. I just wanted to find a quiet place. Teacher, please don’t send me away.”
Mu Yinghua’s expression was half-smiling, “Blame yourself! Why did you have to be so outstanding? Wouldn’t it be better to be more mediocre?”
Qing Muling sighed. If he were mediocre, the sect wouldn’t have gained so many benefits. This was indeed a problem that couldn’t be perfectly resolved.
Fortunately, Mu Yinghua didn’t continue to make things difficult for him and spoke seriously, “Regardless of whether you plan to accept more Dao Companions, at least before you advance to True Immortal, don’t entertain the idea of the Supreme Elders. With your current cultivation, you simply can’t withstand it.”
“Understood,” Qing Muling agreed. If he dared to overestimate his abilities and engage in intimate contact with these elders, who were at least Golden Immortals or even Taiyi and Daluo Golden Immortals, the only outcome would be to be drained completely dry!
Many things in this world cannot be rushed; one must proceed slowly to achieve success.
Gently caressing his master’s smooth and firm waist, surrounded by her fragrant scent, Qing Muling asked in a low voice, “There hasn’t been any movement over there lately, has there?”
Mu Yinghua knew what he meant and replied softly, “You’re mistaken. According to the vague information from the Calamity Fate Palace, that place has recently been visited again by an unknown powerful force, and the spies they secretly sent were all wiped out without exception.”
“According to the palace master’s analysis, this is very likely the work of forces belonging to the Origin Star Palace. Now that they have returned, it’s probably not too long before their master… fully awakens, right?”
That place, of course, referred to the Origin Star Palace.
After bringing Qing Muling back to the sect’s territory, Mu Yinghua had gone through all the records and secret scrolls she could find in the storeroom, not missing any information about the Origin Star Palace. Back in the day, in the Great Void, its status and influence were even more prominent and revered than the Dao Court.
During the heyday of the Origin Star Palace, it was the first immortal sanctuary. At that time, the heads of all sects and many ancient clans would regularly pay homage to the master of the Origin Star Palace, listen to her teachings, and offer up generous resources.
All the prodigies and elite talents of that time took pride in entering the Origin Star Palace, even if it meant starting from the most ordinary outer disciple. Countless people fought over the limited spots.
All of this was due to the master of the Origin Star Palace. She was not only recognized as the strongest in the Great Void at the time, closest to the supreme realm of the Harmony Saint, but she had also glimpsed the key to achieving sainthood. Given time, she would have taken that final step to attain the supreme Dao fruit of eternal life, immortality, and carefree existence.
Since the beginning of the Great Void, no true Saint Supreme had ever emerged. Perhaps there were in the past, but such secrets have been lost in the river of time, unknown to later generations.
If the master of the Origin Star Palace could successfully take that step, then all the old fellows aspiring to the Dao fruit of sainthood would see a tangible hope, which was of great significance.
However, what happened later was unexpected by all forces.
Overnight, an unprecedented calamity struck, burying the Origin Star Palace in ruins and destroying most of the Dao Lineage’s powers in the Great Void. Countless Quasi Holy and Daluo Golden Immortals perished.
Many years after the calamity passed, the cultivation world gradually recovered its vitality.
“…So, the immortal Dao civilization of the Great Void has been destroyed many times by various calamities? And the current era has evolved from the ruins of the old one?”
Qing Muling paused his hand on the plump bosom, asking in surprise.
“You’re right, that’s exactly how it is,” Mu Yinghua subtly shifted her body, avoiding the young man’s mischief, and continued, “Since the birth of the ancient world, the immortal Dao civilization and the cultivation system of the Great Void have gone through many iterations. The era of the Origin Star Palace was just one of them.”
Qing Muling pondered, “Since achieving sainthood is no longer possible, what about ascension? I remember at the beginning of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, cultivators could ascend, right?”
According to the secret records of the sect, the founding ancestor of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace ascended with all the second-generation disciples and most of the third-generation disciples to a more vast and mysterious space-time, presumably similar to the existence of the Immortal Realm, at least a grand world with a higher level and more robust origin of heaven and earth than the Great Void.
“That place should have been discovered by the immortal Dao civilization of the previous era,” Mu Yinghua frowned, “According to the analysis of those old fellows, it is actually a special passage to a brand new space-time. On the other side of the passage is a more powerful immortal Dao civilization, significantly stronger than the current Great Void in all aspects, especially the environmental conditions and the concentration of spiritual energy.”
“However, since the end of the previous era’s immortal Dao civilization in the Great Void, that special ascension passage has gradually closed. The founding ancestor of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace should belong to the last batch of immortals who successfully ascended. Since then, there has been no news of anyone else ascending from all the Dao Lineage’s powers in the Great Void.”
“I see, that’s a pity,” Qing Muling sighed. With no hope of achieving sainthood or ascension, the Quasi Holy Emperors in the Great Void now seemed like caged beasts, with no path forward in this nearly end-of-Dharma era.
Mu Yinghua looked at him and said softly, “It’s not hard to guess the reason for this. It’s simply that this world is declining, and the spiritual mechanism and Dao Rhyme are scarce, so the upper realm disfavors it, hence the closure of the ascension passage.”
“Quite possible,” Qing Muling quickly realized. According to his understanding, it meant that the energy level of the entire space-time world had fallen, and the average quality of ascension cultivators was declining generation after generation, so the great powers of the legendary Immortal Realm disdained them and revoked the ascension qualifications of the cultivators of this world?
Now, as the Great Void’s spiritual mechanism gradually recovers and the spiritual energy becomes denser, the vast and vast world is just beginning to improve, but unfortunately, it has encountered the calamity of the Magic Clan, which is… hard to describe.
“If the Great Void can continue to recover to a certain level, then this ascension passage might have a chance to reopen in the future, right?”
Qing Muling’s hand once again held the round and perky bosom, gently caressing, “At that time, as long as the cultivators reach the Quasi Holy Emperor Realm, they should be able to go to that space-time?”
Mu Yinghua gently moved his hand away, “It should be possible, but we’ll have to wait until the calamity of the Magic Clan is over before discussing it. Moreover, the hope for the recovery of this world will mostly depend on you.”
She remembered Qing Muling’s divine ability to transform the environment of floating lands. As his cultivation increased, it would not be a problem to purify the demonic energy on a large scale and restore thousands of shattered floating lands. Then, by piecing together these floating lands, he would not only gain immense heavenly merits but also accelerate the recovery of the spiritual mechanism and Dao Rhyme of the world.