Volume One: The Lich Cataclysm Chapter 130: Master and Disciple United, Plotting for a Blessed Land

“Please forgive me, Revered Daoist. It was my own blindness that failed to recognize your greatness,” said Aoki Daoist after hearing Wuyun’s words, his heart stirring with some suspicions, and he promptly apologized.

“I wonder what brings you here today, and if there is anything you need my cooperation with?”

“It’s nothing so grave. I came to bring you a great opportunity,” Wuyun replied.

Aoki Daoist looked to Zhenyuanzi, then hesitated before speaking. “This—”

“No need to overthink. Take your time to consider. If you truly disagree, neither I nor Zhenyuanzi will force you,” Wuyun said calmly, perceiving Aoki’s doubts.

“Aoki, do not be too hasty in refusing. I believe you sense it as well: the Primordial World now imposes many restrictions on cultivators like us. What I intend to do is beneficial both to you and to the world itself,” Zhenyuanzi advised, seeing how Wuyun’s words had dampened Aoki’s initial interest.

“What exactly do you want to do in my ancestor’s cave dwelling?” Aoki asked, bewildered.

“Aoki, you’ve cultivated to such heights. Surely you know, and have even visited, many small worlds and cave heavens,” Zhenyuanzi replied.

Aoki stared at him incredulously. “You mean to— Impossible! How could such a thing be done?”

He had guessed what Zhenyuanzi intended and rebutted without mercy.

“Why should it be impossible? Just because you cannot do it, does that mean Zhenyuanzi cannot?” Hongyun interjected.

This only drew a cold laugh from Aoki. “You are but a Golden Immortal. What do you know, to speak so shamelessly?”

“Aoki, there is no need to speak of Hongyun in such terms. He only meant to support my words,” Zhenyuanzi said, noticing Hongyun fall silent after Aoki’s scorn. He realized Aoki’s words had struck Hongyun, sowing some doubts about his own abilities. So Zhenyuanzi took pains to console him. To his surprise, Hongyun seemed completely unaffected.

Wuyun observed and gave Hongyun a meaningful glance, then addressed Aoki. “If you are truly uncertain, you may ask us anything. If you remain unwilling, treat this as if we never came today.”

Aoki saw this and knew Wuyun’s patience was wearing thin. After a brief hesitation, he agreed.

“You will not regret your decision, Aoki,” Zhenyuanzi exclaimed in delight, then summoned the Earth Book. Channeling his power into it, he used the Earth Book to connect with the ley lines surrounding the Spiritwood Valley.

“Release!” Zhenyuanzi shouted, and at that moment Aoki sensed the energies of earth thickening rapidly around them. These earth energies were vital to the land, and ordinarily not so easily mobilized.

“Is it because of that treasure?” he wondered, staring intently at the Earth Book in Zhenyuanzi’s hand.

As Zhenyuanzi worked, the space for tens of thousands of miles began to tremble. He then activated the spatial Dao markings passed to him by Qingkong, and the surrounding space gradually stabilized.

“Just now, I felt as if disaster was looming. He even quelled the spatial tremors! Is this the gap between us?” Aoki pondered, his thoughts racing.

With Zhenyuanzi driving the Earth Book, the ley lines underground grew ever more vibrant. Zhenyuanzi grew anxious, realizing he had underestimated the task. Just as he neared his limit, Wuyun’s voice whispered in his ear.

“Be at ease. With me here, you need only focus on your work,” Wuyun’s words soothed him, and Zhenyuanzi settled his mind, concentrating on his task and leaving the rest to Wuyun.

Things progressed much more smoothly thereafter. As the Spiritwood Valley was shrouded in the mysterious yellow energies, Wuyun acted swiftly.

A torrent of five elemental laws erupted from him, forming a river of multicolored light like a galaxy. Zhenyuanzi saw the five elemental forces rapidly converge.

“Focus!” Wuyun’s warning brought Zhenyuanzi’s attention back to the matter at hand.

Countless earth energies flowed through the Earth Book into the yellow mist. When a particularly strong ley line spirit entered, Zhenyuanzi quickly harnessed spatial power, sealing the entire misty space.

Wuyun’s mastery of the five elements drew their power into the space. Together, using the five elemental Dao and the Earth Book, they layered restriction upon restriction, until it was fully enclosed. At this point, Aoki noticed the valley’s vitality beginning to wane.

He thought they had failed, but then saw Zhenyuanzi calmly use the Earth Book to shift the entire valley into the misty space.

When this was done, Zhenyuanzi finally let out a breath of relief.

“Is it finished?” Hongyun asked, watching the yellow space steadily absorbing the five elemental forces, and approached Zhenyuanzi.

Aoki mocked, “Finished? It’s not that easy. It’ll take at least a million years!”

“Not necessarily,” Wuyun interjected, then turned to Zhenyuanzi. “Hand me the Earth Book.”

Zhenyuanzi complied, passing the Earth Book to Wuyun.

“Watch closely. You’ll need to do this yourself in the future,” Wuyun said, infusing the Earth Book with a pure surge of power, and directed it at the sealed space.

The multicolored galaxy transformed into a chain, binding the yellow space and pressing it into the earth.

The onlookers saw the space merge seamlessly into the land, vanishing into the earth itself.

“What power is this?” Hongyun and Aoki were both stunned. Hongyun was only vaguely aware, but Aoki, a late-stage Hunyuan Golden Immortal, understood clearly.

“The Revered One must have already attained the Dao. Only at that level can such feats be accomplished with ease. Henceforth, these two must never be offended,” he thought.

He had not yet realized that even without Wuyun, he was no threat to Zhenyuanzi.

After the yellow space merged with the earth, Wuyun’s hands moved ceaselessly.

“Are those Dao markings? And it seems anyone could perform them,” Zhenyuanzi observed, memorizing every stroke.

When all the markings were drawn, Zhenyuanzi saw they formed a complex grand array. He meticulously recorded every detail in his spirit.

“It is done,” came Wuyun’s soft voice after a long silence, finally reaching Aoki’s ears.