Martial Immortality: Starting with the Spirit Beast Scroll

Chapter 323: Chapter 311: Celestial Dao

Of the eleven cultivators returning home to visit family, four were disciples in their first year with the sect.

The sect gave each person two Spirit Stones and some silver coins.

The Spiritual Qi in the small world was thin. The Spirit Stones were to maintain their daily cultivation, and the silver coins were for travel expenses.

"On this trip back to the Han Red Realm, you must all be prudent in word and deed."

Aboard the Spiritual Vessel, Elder Wu addressed Zhao Lin and the other three with a solemn expression.

"Your status is different now. When you left the small world, you were mortals—just ordinary inhabitants."

"But now, you are cultivators. You no longer belong to the small world, and its Celestial Dao will not recognize you."

"Therefore, do your best to avoid using Magic, especially of the offensive or defensive variety. Incurring the wrath of the Celestial Dao will cause trouble. Also, do not casually reveal matters of cultivation to others."

"Yes, Elder."

"We understand, Elder."

Zhao Lin and the others replied in turn.

The return journey was the reverse of their arrival: first a small Spiritual Vessel, then a transfer to a large warship, and finally, they reached the entrance to the small world.

The entrance to the small world was located in a corner of Nanhe Province. It was a flat, desolate hill, overgrown with weeds, and looked completely unremarkable. However, upon getting closer, one could clearly sense fluctuations of Mana.

The group disembarked from the warship and waited in front of the desolate hill.

Zhao Lin activated his Qi Observation Skill and saw a faint white mist blanketing the land for several miles around.

Strictly speaking, the small world was not part of the Xuanyuan Continent, but rather coexisted in the same space, overlapping with it.

Cultivators from the Xuanyuan Continent had used Magic to detect the small world, carving out an entrance and connecting the two realms.

After half a day’s wait, a yellow light suddenly shot out from the Array.

Zhao Lin focused his gaze and could vaguely make out that the yellow light was a talisman, identical to the "Escape Light Guidance Talisman" the garrison cultivator had released a year ago.

’It seems the other side is ready and has sent word for us to be brought over.’

’Who’s going to open the Array?’

The thought had barely formed in Zhao Lin’s mind when four red-robed cultivators appeared without warning on the desolate hill, holding Magical Artifacts such as Array Plates, array flags, and array pestles.

The few disciples returning home for the first time were stunned, but Elder Wu and the senior disciples remained calm, their expressions unperturbed.

Seeing this, the new disciples guessed that the red-robed cultivators were the ones who controlled the Array and stood silently to one side to watch.

The four red-robed cultivators nodded to Elder Wu before spreading out to the four corners of the Array. They waved the Magical Artifacts in their hands, continuously channeling their Mana.

Before long, space itself rippled, and a fissure dozens of feet long abruptly tore open in the Array.

The fissure widened, gradually becoming a black hole. Air currents churned within it, resembling a giant vortex.

BOOM!

Hundreds of streams of Spiritual Qi erupted from the ground, converging into a torrent that poured into the vortex.

’They’re drawing on the underground Spirit Vein to infuse the small world with Spiritual Qi,’ Zhao Lin mused.

"All aboard."

Elder Wu commanded, leading everyone back aboard the warship.

The warship slowly began to move, quickly entering the black hole and flying through the spatial fissure at an incredible speed.

Before long, the clouds parted, and through the cabin windows, Three Mountains Island appeared beneath their feet.

"We’re finally back!"

As the warship slowly descended, the disciples filed out of the cabin. A disciple next to Zhao Lin sighed with emotion.

But his expression quickly changed. "I can’t seem to control my Spiritual Power," he cried out.

Elder Wu glanced back at him and said in a heavy tone, "Remain calm."

Zhao Lin said nothing, but he felt the same.

It felt as if an invisible pressure pervaded the world, and the Innate Spiritual Acupoints in his body were clogged by something.

The feeling was familiar. He recalled having the same experience when entering the market city the other day.

’So this is how the Celestial Dao suppresses cultivators.’

The group stepped off the Flying Vessel and saw three garrison cultivators standing solemnly atop the mountain.

Over thirty young boys and girls were gathered around the garrison cultivators.

"So many potential cultivators this year!"

A look of delighted surprise appeared on Elder Wu’s face.

"The heavens have blessed our Chenghua Sect! Thankfully, we have not failed in our duty. This year, we have found a total of thirty-six individuals with gifted Spiritual Roots."

It was the same three garrison cultivators from the previous year. They stepped forward together and spoke respectfully.

Zhao Lin glanced over but didn’t recognize anyone among the youths.

"Excellent, excellent."

Elder Wu stroked his beard, smiling as he sized up the group of youths.

The lead garrison cultivator introduced him to the youths, "This is a cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Realm, Junior Martial Uncle Wu. He is responsible for escorting you to the sect."

"Greetings, Junior Martial Uncle Wu."

The youths all came forward to pay their respects.

After both sides exchanged some pleasantries, the eldest of the cultivators returning for a home visit cupped his fists. "Elder Wu, and you three fellow cultivators, we are here to visit family, so we won’t linger."

"Travel safely, and we’ll see you again," the three garrison cultivators replied, cupping their hands.

"Be careful, all of you. You must return here on the evening sixteen days from now. Be sure not to miss it!"

Elder Wu urged them.

"Yes!"

Zhao Lin and the others bowed in unison before rushing down the mountain together.

Back in the mortal world, none of them dared to casually use Magic. They relied only on their superhuman physical strength to leap and bound through the mountain forests.

Having a foundation in martial arts, Zhao Lin also didn’t dare to display his abilities too openly.

By now, the Primordial Qi in his body had been completely replaced by Spiritual Qi. His power had certainly grown, but his martial arts were no longer those of the mortal realm.

In other words, if Zhao Lin were to fight a martial artist here, using his internal Spiritual Power would be tantamount to casting Magic.

Three Mountains Island was not large, and before long, the group arrived at the coast.

A ferry was already waiting at the shore, its boatmen mortals who had been hired by the garrison cultivators at great expense.

Having been instructed beforehand, the boatmen said little. The moment everyone was aboard, they began to row with all their might.

In less than four hours, they had delivered the group to the opposite shore.

"Take care, everyone. See you all back here."

Their vacation was half a month, but after accounting for travel time, there really wasn’t much time left. Eager to get home, the disciples exchanged quick farewells and went their separate ways.

Zhao Lin rushed back, traveling day and night and stopping for only two to four hours of rest each day. In less than two days and nights, he arrived at Yongning City on the border of the Great Yue.

Walking into Yongning City, he saw the same bustling crowds as when he had left, and his heart finally relaxed.

His state of mind was completely different now. He felt a newfound sense of ease and detachment, able to view the people and affairs of the city from an observer’s perspective.

’The Qi Observation Skill isn’t an offensive or defensive Magic. The Celestial Dao probably won’t mind, right?’

At that thought, Zhao Lin activated his Qi Observation Skill.

Although his Spiritual Acupoints were suppressed, his Spiritual Power could still be channeled—it was just much more difficult than before.

The moment he used the Qi Observation Skill, he saw a ball of light above every person’s head.

’So these orbs of light really are the life force of mortals.’

On the very day he had broken through to the Innate Realm, Zhao Lin had been able to see these same orbs of light above the heads of ordinary people.

A moment later, he suddenly felt his Spiritual Acupoints tighten. A pressure bore down from the heavens, and his Spiritual Power became incredibly sluggish.

’I can’t even use it for a little while? The oversight here is way too strict!’

Zhao Lin sighed in frustration and dispelled the Magic. Suddenly, he understood.

’The Celestial Dao isn’t a person. It’s the law of this world, meant to protect all its living beings.’

’You could think of the Celestial Dao as an incredibly complex Array with innumerable rules.’

’Street vendors and porters, high officials and nobility—they are all the ordinary inhabitants of this world.’

’A cultivator like me, with the power to break those laws, is naturally seen as an unwelcome presence by the Celestial Dao.’

Lost in thought, Zhao Lin found he had arrived in front of the Duke Zhen’s Mansion without realizing it.

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