Chapter 307: The Current State of the Seven Kingdoms

A gust of wind suddenly swept through the gray cavern. In the corner, several dilapidated bookshelves collapsed with a loud crash, their seemingly intact books shattering into dust upon impact.

At the center of the cavern, the patterns on the stone slab lit up, and a figure materialized within the formation.

It was Chen Luo, freshly teleported.

The Mummified Brain had modified the Thousand-Eyed Centipede Spirit’s Three Talents Demon Formation into an inter-territory teleportation array. The demonic power the spirit had secretly infused into Chen Luo now served as the teleportation’s energy source, and Chen Luo devoured the excess in a single gulp.

Seated cross-legged at the heart of the formation, Chen Luo exhaled a stream of turbid air.

He had perfectly absorbed the feedback from the Thunder Tribulation. Under the Mummified Brain’s meticulous control, not a single trace of energy was wasted. His internal reserves of spiritual energy had coalesced into nine luminous points. Furthermore, he had successfully devoured the demonic power unleashed by the Thousand-Eyed Centipede Spirit. With the Mummified Brain’s assistance, he had no dietary restrictions. After circulating the energy several times, he refined it back into spiritual energy.

The effects of his High-Grade Golden Core were now fully manifest.

Had Chen Luo formed a Blood Pill or Crimson Pill, he would have been utterly incapable of absorbing the Thousand-Eyed Centipede Spirit’s demonic power. But a High-Grade Golden Core was different; it served as the foundation for Immortal Ascension and could assimilate any type of energy.

Beyond the consumption of spiritual energy, Chen Luo successfully weathered the subsequent Demonic Heart Tribulation.

The tribulation, which should have erupted, was intercepted by the Demonic Heart Ancestor using special means. He transformed it into three strands of Tribulation Qi, storing them within Chen Luo’s body to be unleashed at opportune moments for breaking through cultivation bottlenecks.

Several days later, Chen Luo opened his eyes, having fully assimilated the absorbed power. His Divine Sense expanded, instantly perceiving his surroundings with crystal clarity. The range of his Divine Sense had increased from three kilometers to ten kilometers, the most significant change being his newfound ability to sense the primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth.

This was the fundamental difference between Core Formation and Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Foundation Establishment cultivators relied entirely on their own magical energy to power their divine abilities. The strength of their abilities was directly proportional to their personal reserves. Within the same cultivation realm, demons generally possessed greater accumulated power than humans. In Foundation Establishment battles, several human cultivators of the same tier were often required to defeat a single powerful Second-Tier Demonic Beast.

This dynamic shifted dramatically upon reaching Core Formation.

A Core Formation cultivator’s power was no longer limited to their physical body, instantly leveling the playing field with monster cultivators. Strength now depended on one’s mastery of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

This was precisely where the Demon Clan fell short.

“Black Mountain Village?” Chen Luo’s expression faltered as he withdrew his Divine Sense.

This was the very cave where he, Eldest Brother Du De, and their companions had been teleported from the Great Tomb of Yue via the Inter-Territory Teleportation Array.

He had later returned to the Great Tomb from here, but the Inter-Territory Teleportation Array had malfunctioned, shifting its teleportation point. Chen Luo had concealed the location and never returned—until now. Facing danger, the Mummified Brain had recalibrated and teleported him back here.

The familiar scenery stirred memories of the Great Tomb of Yue.

When Chen Luo had last departed, he had bid farewell to Zhangqing Zhenren, his Master who had guided him onto the path of cultivation. That venerable teacher had likely already passed away. From the moment the Divine Path Manual’s cultivation failed, his life had been on borrowed time. If not for the unique environment of the Great Tomb, Zhangqing Zhenren would have surely perished long ago.

“Still no way to repair it.”

Chen Luo attempted to activate the Mummified Brain, but despite his accumulated knowledge, he still couldn’t repair the grand formation. However, he had gained a new direction.

Since this place had once been connected to the Great Tomb of Yue, there must be a node hidden somewhere. He simply needed to find it and use the Tribulation Transcendence method to open it. With so many brains still within the tomb, his mummified “Old Brother” must be feeling lonely. He couldn’t abandon this “rescue” mission.

Meanwhile, at the God Lake Immortal Sect…

“What? Everyone on Heavenly Talisman Peak has vanished?”

On Wu Dao Peak, Ding Xiaoxia, recently promoted to Deacon, gasped as he heard the report from below.

Changes had been occurring in the Seven Kingdoms Region for the past decade. Initially, these disturbances were confined to the Loose Cultivators Union, a rogue cultivator organization whose strongest members barely reached the Foundation Establishment Realm. Naturally, no one paid much attention. Ding Xiaoxia only knew about it because Chen Luo had collaborated with a Deacon named Zhu Jie from the Union back in Shan City.

Later, Zhu Jie leveraged this connection to conduct several transactions with Wu Dao Peak, establishing a tentative cooperative relationship. Unfortunately, Chen Luo’s departure severed their ties.

The Loose Cultivators Union had been infiltrated by a force known as the Ghost Temple, a group whose cultivation system differed entirely from that of the Seven Kingdoms Region, with barely any living members. In less than six months, the Ghost Temple had completely consumed the Loose Cultivators Union. Using the Union as a base, the Ghost Temple expanded its territory, encroaching upon the lands of the Seven Kingdoms’ Three Great Immortal Sects.

The Corpse-Raising Sect suffered the greatest losses, followed by Nine Poisons Valley.

Having emerged victorious in the earlier war among the Immortal Sect Leaders, Nine Poisons Valley now faced a devastating defeat, losing vast swathes of territory. They regrouped with the Corpse-Raising Sect and retreated together to the vicinity of the God Lake Immortal Sect. The leaders of these three Immortal Sects, who had once fought fiercely among themselves, found themselves united once more against this new enemy. Sadly, the Ghost Temple’s advance was unstoppable. The Valley Master of Nine Poisons Valley, the Sect Leader of the Corpse-Raising Sect, and the newly ascended Core Formation Void Sage of the God Lake Immortal Sect joined forces.

Even this trio of Core Formation experts could barely hold back the tide for a time before the situation spiraled completely out of control.

Ghost Temple cultivators proved exceptionally difficult to deal with, especially their leader, a woman named Xue Ning, whose methods struck terror into the hearts of her opponents. She had personally injured the Sect Leader of the Corpse-Raising Sect using techniques utterly unheard of in their cultivation world.

“Heavenly Talisman Peak is deserted,” said the surviving disciple, his face pale with terror. “Only those bizarre shadows flicker through the mist.”

The disciple had only joined the sect two months prior and had barely reached the second layer of Qi Refining.

Before entering, he had romanticized the Cultivation World, but reality shattered his illusions. There were no soaring flights of fancy, only monotonous training and endless sect duties. Now, he was caught in this eerie, inexplicable crisis.

“What about the Corpse-Raising Sect and Nine Poisons Valley?” Ding Xiaoxia couldn’t help but ask.

The Three Great Immortal Sects, once dominant across the Seven Kingdoms, had all retreated into the Shi Kingdom, huddling together for protection. Their three Core Formation cultivators dared not separate, fearing the Ghost Temple would exploit their vulnerability and defeat them individually.

“The same,” the disciple replied, his voice trembling. “The Ghost Temple has corrupted their spirit meridians too. All the disciples on the mountains, just like those on Heavenly Talisman Peak, have been transformed into those flickering ghost things.”

He had taken on a routine patrol assignment that morning, only to encounter this catastrophic event by afternoon.

The oppressive atmosphere, intensified by the fact that they couldn’t even see their enemies, filled him with despair.

“Weren’t the elders of Nine Poisons Valley and the Corpse-Raising Sect also on the mountain?”

“They’ve vanished as well.”

The Heavenly Talisman Peak disciple replied.

Ding Xiaoxia paced back and forth, feeling immense pressure. He hadn’t experienced such stress since Senior Sister Huang Ying had elevated him to his current position.

The elders from Nine Poisons Valley and the Corpse-Raising Sect stationed on the mountain were Foundation Establishment cultivators—the same realm as Senior Sister Huang Ying! If even they couldn’t hold their ground, was there truly no safe place left on the mountain? The thought made Ding Xiaoxia increasingly uneasy. He resolved to head to the main peak and report the situation to the Peak Master.

After achieving Core Formation, Void Sage had become the Sect Leader of the God Lake Immortal Sect.

Now, the God Lake Immortal Sect was qualified to ally with the Corpse-Raising Sect and Nine Poisons Valley precisely because of the presence of Void Sage, their Core Formation Ancestor.

“Return first and remember, don’t wander around. The safest place for you is by the Peak Master’s side,” Ding Xiaoxia instructed the disciple before leaving to report the matter.

The Ninth Peak of the Immortal Sect.

Originally known as Heaven’s Mandate Peak of the God Lake Immortal Sect, it had been occupied by the Corpse-Raising Sect after their defeat. Void Sage had gifted them this main peak, believing that close proximity would foster mutual support and vigilance.

The Sect Leader of the Corpse-Raising Sect sat in the Dao Arena, surrounded by rows of black lacquered caskets. A dense miasma of yin energy converged upon the space, and all the sect’s high-ranking Elders had gathered. The Sect Leader, seated on the main dais, wore a grim expression. A swirling mass of gray gas writhed like a worm between his brows—the lingering power of the Ghost Temple.

“We’ve only confirmed the Ghost Temple’s connection to the demonic cultivation realm,” said a Corpse-Raising Sect Elder, a short, gnome-like figure. “I suspect the Blackstone Ancestor from that realm is attempting to expand into our territory.”

“Blackstone Ancestor?”

Communication between the demonic cultivation realm and the Seven Kingdoms had been severed long ago, so much of what they knew was outdated. As far as they understood, the demonic cultivation realm was still Blackstone Ancestor’s domain. Now that the Ghost Temple was causing trouble, it must be at his instigation.

“I’ve heard he achieved Heterodox Core Formation,” another Elder chimed in. “His power is terrifying.”

They had convened to discuss a solution. For the esteemed Corpse-Raising Sect, one of the Three Great Immortal Sects, to have its territory seized and be forced to seek refuge with the God Lake Immortal Sect was a profound humiliation.

“What exactly is Void Sage cultivating?” another Elder asked. “How can he withstand the Ghost Temple’s evil arts?”

Though both had reached the Core Formation Realm, neither the Corpse-Raising Sect Leader nor the Valley Master of Nine Poisons Valley could resist the Ghost Temple’s power. How could Void Sage, a newly ascended Core Formation cultivator, possibly succeed where they had failed?

“That man is definitely hiding something. If we could uncover his secrets…”

“Enough,” the Corpse-Raising Sect Leader interrupted, silencing his subordinates’ pointless chatter.

Who wouldn’t want secrets? But one needed the strength to seize them. Although Void Sage had achieved Core Formation later than the sect leader and the Valley Master of Nine Poisons Valley, he had condensed a Crimson Pill! This made him stronger than both of them.

A single step might separate them, but the distance was as vast as a thousand miles!

This disparity was even more pronounced in the Core Formation Realm. Neither the sect leader nor the Valley Master could withstand a Ghost Temple heretic, yet Void Sage had managed to hold one at bay. That alone revealed the difference between them. However, Void Sage was clearly struggling to maintain his defense and needed their assistance.

“First, let’s focus on surviving this crisis,” the sect leader said.

“The Sect Leader speaks wisely,” the Corpse-Raising Sect Elders chimed in, a chorus of agreement born from years of habit. Within the sect, no one dared defy the leader; those who did were transformed into corpse puppets.

“I previously sent scouts to the border,” the first Corpse-Raising Sect Elder reported. “Our records indicate passages to demonic cultivation realms along the southern sea route.”

As he spoke, he turned to a disciple outside the door and ordered, “Bring in the documents.”

Oddly, the corridor remained eerily silent. No one responded to the elder’s command.

“Where is everyone?!” The elder frowned in displeasure.