Chapter 318: Hidden Blissful Land, Gengjia Skyneedle, Lightning Pool Sand, Fire Virtue True Lord!

Li Yanchu’s mouth twitched slightly. Did his Senior Uncle think he was bragging?

The old Celestial Master raised a cup of wine and drained it in one gulp.

“Tsk tsk! If it weren’t for the fact that you’re not like your master, always bragging, I would’ve thought you were pulling my leg,” the old Celestial Master said with a laugh.

“Senior Uncle, you’re skilled in divining heavenly secrets. Did you not notice this in advance?” Li Yanchu asked curiously.

“Do you take me for a god? Besides, if I knew everything in advance, life would be far too boring,” the old Celestial Master joked.

Li Yanchu paused, then smiled. “Senior Uncle, your cultivation and insight are truly remarkable. You are like a living immortal!”

The two chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere was light and harmonious.

The old Celestial Master recognized the treasures in Li Yanchu’s hands and was equally astonished.

“Firefly Fruit, Big Dipper peachwood sword, Gengjia Skyneedle[1], Lightning Pool Sand...”

He glanced at Li Yanchu, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

“When I traveled the world back in my day, I never had luck like yours,” he murmured. “But... you’re not a person of great destiny, just a hard life fate. How do you end up with so many opportunities?”

“Could it be the blessing from the Dao Dust Bead of Qingcheng Mountain?” The old Celestial Master was clearly surprised, muttering to himself. “Truly, having an elder at home is like having a treasure!”

Li Yanchu silently nodded in agreement. Clearly, the artifacts he obtained this time were no ordinary items, otherwise his Senior Uncle would not have been so amazed.

“So these rare treasures really do come from minor monsters?”

He couldn’t help but smile broadly.

The old Celestial Master grew excited. “The Jade Altar Blissful Land is opening this time, you must go. With your current luck, you’re bound to gain a great opportunity!”

“Senior Uncle, that Blissful Land is a trap. Last time the Mount Jinting Blissful Land was destroyed by demons, and so many cultivators died. I’d rather stay behind and refine in seclusion,” Li Yanchu said cautiously.

“As far as I know, the Jade Altar Blissful Land should be a relatively well-preserved Blissful Land. Although its ranking is not very high, it has never been invaded by demons,” the old Celestial Master explained. “The land is rich with heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, making it an excellent place for cultivators.”

“Hmm?” Li Yanchu’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Senior Uncle, you seem very familiar with this Jade Altar Blissful Land?” he asked.

“That’s right. I visited it when I was young. At that time, there were no traces of immortals, but the spiritual energy was abundant, making it a truly excellent secret realm,” the old Celestial Master said calmly.

Li Yanchu could sense a powerful, commanding aura from his Senior Uncle at that moment and felt a bit astonished.

Could it be... this wasn’t the first opening of the Blissful Lands, but the second?

He asked the question aloud.

“The Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands are hidden realms of heaven and earth, formed from the essence, energy, and spirit of land immortals. They not only contain the legacies of the land immortals but are also rich in spiritual energy,” the old Celestial Master continued.

“The method for opening each Blissful Land is generally similar. The thirty-six Grotto-Heavens and the higher-ranked Blissful Lands may even forcibly absorb suitable individuals; it cannot be avoided.”

“Before the last Jiazi[2] cycle, the Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands were opened once, with three Grotto-Heavens and six Blissful Lands activated. It wasn’t only in the Kingdom of Qian; even the northern barbarians, the Western Regions, and overseas islands had entrants.

“The competition back then was extremely fierce. Two of the Blissful Lands were destroyed by demons, but the remaining seven Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands were all abundant in spiritual energy, making them ideal places for cultivation.

“I entered the Jade Altar Blissful Land at that time, so I am certain that no demons could be present there,” the old Celestial Master said firmly.

“Information about the Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands has always been classified. Major sects, the imperial court, and various nations all treat it as confidential. As a result, rumors in the world are a mix of truth and falsehood.”

At this point, the old Celestial Master no longer spoke in riddles. He revealed to Li Yanchu the hidden truths he knew about the Blissful Lands.

“Where do those demons even come from?”

“Why were they able to destroy an immortal’s Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands?” Li Yanchu asked the question that had most concerned him.

“I don’t know for certain either,” the old Celestial Master replied. “However, those demons seem to be restricted by methods left behind by immortals.”

“Back in the Mount Baishi Grotto-Heaven, a severed hand was sealed there. It was immense in size and comparable to a mountain. But no matter how much it struggled, it could never break free,” the old Celestial Master said, his eyes tinged with melancholy, as if recalling the terrifying demonic aura of that massive severed hand.

He continued, “As for the Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands, the

jianghu

only knows fragments; much remains unexplored. Many things will likely require your generation to investigate.

“A Blissful Land cannot normally accommodate a third-realm Yang Spirit powerhouse. Of course, perhaps the higher-ranked Blissful Lands might, but that’s uncertain.

“Yang Spirit cultivators in the world are exceedingly rare. You needn’t worry, with your strength, you’ll rarely face opponents in the second realm. Therefore, I strongly feel you must go to the Jade Altar Blissful Land!”

The old Celestial Master’s gaze burned with intensity.

“However, opportunities of this kind aren’t guaranteed by strength alone. Some inheritances are truly dependent on the person. For instance, the Jade Altar Blissful Land contains a particularly formidable immortal legacy, said to be related to the Southern Fire Virtue Star Lord.”

“At that time, it hadn’t manifested, so no one obtained it. This time, if the opportunity arises when you enter the Jade Altar Blissful Land, you’ll have a chance to compete for it. If not, you can still benefit from the spiritual energy there to cultivate.”

“Southern Fire Virtue Star Lord?” Li Yanchu took a deep breath. That sounded incredibly enticing.

Truly impressive.

“Senior Uncle, after what you’ve said, I definitely want to go see it,” Li Yanchu said.

The old Celestial Master scolded lightly, “This is a Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Land. Other people would break their heads just to compete for it, and here you are hesitating.”

Li Yanchu chuckled and made no excuse.

“But if you go this time, you must be careful of a few individuals,” the old Celestial Master said thoughtfully.

“Oh?” Li Yanchu was somewhat surprised.

“The inheritance of the Jade Altar Blissful Land is related to the Fire Virtue Star Lord. No doubt, the Mount Mao Daoist Chilong will send his disciples there. Among them is one named Danyangzi, born with the fire element, who has long been cultivating diligently at a volcanic crater.”

“Then there’s Xu Hongyun, the prodigy of the Fire Virtue Sect. They regard the Fire Virtue True Lord as their founder. If the inheritance manifests this time, they will stop at nothing to claim it!”

Li Yanchu silently noted down the two names.

In a world of fierce competition, prodigies naturally rose. If he encountered a rare opportunity, others would too.

The old Daoist spoke of the

jianghu

of the Kingdom of Qian as if reciting a familiar tale. After all, in his youth, he had been a leading figure among the young generation of Mount Longhu and even the entire country. He was a master of unrivaled prowess, maintaining his dominance into old age. Only after falling in cultivation level did he gradually withdraw from the limelight.

Li Yanchu also remembered several other names: the genius Murong Longcheng from the northern barbarians, the ascetic monk Luozhu from the great snow mountain of the Western Regions...

These past few days, he had cultivated in seclusion, and now, finally, the Jade Altar Blissful Land opened.

Spiritual energy exploded across heaven and earth, and a jade-green archway burst through the ground and slowly rose.

Radiant clouds of light filled the sky as the Jade Altar Blissful Land had opened.

1. The full name is 庚甲运化天芒神针 Gengjia Transmutation Sky-Ray Divine Needle. Here I have shortened it to just Gengjia Skyneedle for better readability.

庚甲 (Gengjia) refers to the heavenly stem combination. ☜

2. “Jiǎzǐ” is a term used to indicate a unit of time in Chinese, with several related meanings. First, it refers to the combination of the Heavenly Stem “Jiǎ” and the Earthly Branch “Zǐ” in the traditional Chinese sexagenary cycle, representing the first position in the 60-year cycle, which is called a jiǎzǐ. Second, “Jiǎzǐ” can also more generally refer to a sixty-year period. For example, the common phrase “Huajia zhī nián” (花甲之年) refers to a person reaching the age of sixty. ☜