Translator: AnubisTL
After relaying his orders to the sect, Li Qing didn't immediately depart. Instead, he remained in his cave abode, quietly cultivating for an extended period.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye, during which no major events occurred in the Azure Ridge Domain. The immortal realm remained peaceful.
During this time, the Lingyun Sect held another ascension conference, further expanding its influence and scale.
The sect now boasted over ten thousand members, its disciples not only scattered throughout the Azure Ridge Domain but also extending their influence far beyond its borders. The Azure Ridge Domain was increasingly under the Lingyun Sect's control.
The entire domain rallied to their cause, responding to their every call with unanimous support!
With a Nascent Soul Ancestor presiding over the sect, the Lingyun Sect truly began to exude the aura of a hegemon of the immortal dao.
Throughout these three years, Li Qing's focus remained on nurturing the Fire Jade Bee Queen.
He continuously fed the queen bee with the Three Spirit Flames, never wavering in his efforts. To accelerate her growth, he even placed a Fire Spirit Pearl within the Red Jade Beehive.
Finally, just as he prepared to depart, the Fire Jade Bee Queen showed signs of advancement!
"It's fallen into a deep slumber. This must be a sign of the Fire Jade Bee Queen's advancement."
Li Qing carefully observed the sleeping queen bee within the Red Jade Beehive. Using his powerful divine sense, he could sense her aura growing stronger even in her slumber.
During the Fire Jade Bee Queen's dormancy, the entire beehive's Fire Jade Bees remained on high alert.
It was only because Li Qing had been staying near the Red Jade Beehive for the past few years that the Fire Jade Bees had grown accustomed to his presence. Otherwise, they would have undoubtedly treated him as an enemy.
Of course, Li Qing paid little attention to the threat posed by mere ordinary Fire Jade Bees.
After further observation, Li Qing confirmed that the Fire Jade Bee Queen's slumber would likely be a prolonged process.
When she awakened, she would be a third-tier spirit insect!
Such a creature would undoubtedly give even many core formation realm cultivators a severe headache.
"Alright, little one, slumber and undergo your metamorphosis in peace. This ancestor will leave you in the cave abode."
Before departing, Li Qing left a divine sense beacon within the Red Jade Beehive. When the Fire Jade Bee Queen awakened from her slumber and completed her metamorphosis, she would receive commands from Li Qing.
Li Qing ensured that the Fire Jade Bee Queen would continue developing within the beehive after awakening. He left ample Spirit Fire Sources in the cave abode, ensuring the queen bee would have sustenance during his absence.
With these preparations complete, Li Qing activated several heavenly spirit fires, sealing additional Spirit Fire Sources within the cave abode.
However, Li Qing estimated that the Fire Jade Bee Queen wouldn't consume all the sealed Spirit Fire Sources. Judging by her current state, the metamorphosis would likely take several years, by which time he might have already returned from the World of Eternal Night.
Still, with his boundless mana, Li Qing didn't need to concern himself with such minor expenditures.
Having finished his preparations, Li Qing prepared to depart, ready to descend once more into the World of Eternal Night.
Just then, a solid aura suddenly surged from within the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate.
Boom!
Li Qing, who was about to leave, paused momentarily, a smile spreading across his face.
"As expected of the Water Spirit Pearl's wielder," he murmured. "Su Xin has already cultivated to the late-stage core formation realm so quickly."
Indeed, the surging aura signaled Su Xin's imminent breakthrough to the late-stage core formation realm, immediately drawing the attention of many Lingyun Sect disciples.
Judging by the steadiness of her aura, Su Xin's breakthrough to the late-stage core formation realm was virtually guaranteed, with no unexpected complications anticipated.
This advancement would significantly bolster the Lingyun Sect's strength. Even in Li Qing's temporary absence, the sect could continue to develop steadily, relying on the Fourth-Tier Grand Formation guarding the mountain gate for long-term security.
Greatly relieved, Li Qing could finally set out to explore the World of Eternal Night without worry.
Before departing, he summoned Fan Tong, who had been napping at the foot of Azure Cloud Peak, back to his cave abode and stored him in his spirit beast pouch.
Since they were heading to the World of Eternal Night, Fan Tong naturally had to come along.
For years, Fan Tong had been slumbering within the sect, digesting the energy from the Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit. This prolonged dormancy had only deepened his inherent laziness.
During this expedition, Li Qing hoped to find further opportunities for Fan Tong's growth. At the very least, they could hunt some third-tier exotic beasts and extract crimson crystals to feed him.
Finally, Li Qing retrieved the Black Furnace for self-protection. After ensuring all precautions were thoroughly in place, he entered the long-dormant state of interdimensional travel.
Buzz!
A brief, dizzying sensation followed as the surrounding scenery dissolved, shattering like fragile bubbles.
When Li Qing opened his eyes again, the surrounding scenery had drastically changed.
The expected void turbulence hadn't materialized, filling Li Qing with a sense of relief.
Even as a cultivator in the nascent soul realm, he had no desire to confront such a perilous phenomenon.
After all, when he had left the World of Eternal Night, the Spirit Devouring Realm he had been in was collapsing and crumbling around him.
"It seems the void turbulence created by the Spirit Devouring Realm's collapse didn't last long. But where am I now?"
The environment was utterly unfamiliar, bearing no resemblance to any place Li Qing remembered from the World of Eternal Night.
This wasn't the jagged mountain range outside the Spirit Devouring Realm. At first, Li Qing assumed the spirit realm's collapse had destroyed the surrounding landscape as well. But after extending his divine sense, he realized this wasn't the case.
He suspected he might even be outside the Autumn Mountain Domain!
The area was a river valley, and Li Qing stood on a high slope overlooking a winding great river. Fine sand and gravel lined the riverbanks, creating a desolate scene.
What immediately caught his attention were strange objects occasionally leaping from the river's surface. When Li Qing examined them with his divine sense, he discovered they weren't fish at all—they were half-rotted roots.
These roots originated from massive river clams at the bottom of the great river. Whenever the clams opened and closed their shells, they would shoot these decaying roots to the surface, as if luring something.
At that moment, a Night Bat with three strange eyes swooped down from the sky, attempting to snatch the leaping anomalies from the river's surface.
But before it could even extend its claws, the Night Bat was ensnared by several decaying roots and effortlessly dragged beneath the surface, without so much as a struggle.
In the next instant, the unfortunate Night Bat was devoured by several grotesque river clams at the bottom of the great river. Li Qing observed the entire scene clearly through his divine sense.
"Where exactly am I?"
Li Qing instinctively looked up, confirming that the Red Moon still hung high in the sky. If not for this, he might have doubted whether he was still in the World of Eternal Night.
The Red Moon's crimson glow dominated the night sky—this was undoubtedly the World of Eternal Night. But why had he been transported to this place?
"During interdimensional travel, shouldn't I return to the exact location I departed from?"
"It seems the original space collapsed into void turbulence, obliterating even the spatial coordinates."
Li Qing murmured to himself, then patted his spirit beast pouch and released Fan Tong.
"Awoo!"
"Big Brother, you're finally back!"
Fan Tong immediately recognized the familiar scent in the air, quickly realizing he had returned to the World of Eternal Night. He became immensely excited.
"Mm, I came to see if I can find some high-grade crimson crystals for you," Li Qing said calmly. "They'll help you better digest the Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit in your body."
Hearing that Li Qing had come specifically to find high-grade crimson crystals for him, Fan Tong grew even more excited.
Although the Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit had aided his growth, his progress remained somewhat slow. After all, he was still just a demon beast. Even with the inheritance and innate talent of a heavenly demon tiger, he couldn't advance as rapidly as the human race.
The greatest advantage of demon beasts was their long lifespans, and their strength typically increased through gradual, persistent effort.
However, the crimson crystals of the World of Eternal Night had repeatedly allowed Fan Tong to break through this limitation.
In truth, his lifespan was still less than two centuries. Even in the demon realm, third-tier demonic beasts of such age were exceedingly rare.
"But we still haven't figured out where exactly we are or what the situation is. It's best to remain cautious and discreet for now."
With that, Li Qing settled onto Fan Tong's back, embarking on a long-awaited exploration of this strange world atop his tiger mount.
Under Li Qing's restraint, Fan Tong didn't take to the skies but instead galloped across the ground.
As they moved, Fan Tong's overwhelming tiger's might involuntarily radiated outward, terrifying all living creatures in the vicinity into trembling submission, none daring to show their faces.
Ever since inheriting the heavenly demon tiger's bones and inheritance within Myriad Beasts Mountain, Fan Tong had gained a unique aura of dominance—the formidable presence of the Heavenly Demon Tiger Clan!
Their journey led them through a river valley and onto a vast, desolate plain. Instead of lush grasslands and singing birds, the landscape was dotted with clusters of diverse mushrooms.
Occasionally, weak strange beasts lurked underground, but their insignificance held no interest for Li Qing or Fan Tong.
"This is rather odd," Li Qing murmured, his brow furrowing slightly. "We've traveled so far without encountering a single human trace, let alone a third-tier exotic beast of any real strength."
Throughout their journey, Li Qing had maintained his divine sense extended, yet he couldn't detect any useful clues.
Finally, after another arduous stretch of galloping, Li Qing understood why the surface remained so devoid of human presence.
In the pitch-black night sky ahead, a colossal, dark silhouette suddenly materialized in Li Qing's vision.
Li Qing stared intently, his eyebrows involuntarily arching.
It was a mushroom of truly gargantuan proportions—no, it should be called a mushroom city!
Even towering mountains seemed insignificant in comparison. This mushroom rose from the earth, its cap supporting entire structures that stretched beyond the horizon.
The faint crimson moonlight cascaded down, illuminating the bizarre and surreal sight of this mushroom metropolis.
Perched atop Fan Tong's back, Li Qing gazed at the scene and couldn't help but gasp.
He recalled the demonic willow from the Black Wind Domain, which had been equally massive but driven by a bloodthirsty nature, slaughtering any creature that approached to feed its roots.
Yet this giant mushroom city was covered in buildings, indicating the presence of inhabitants—a peculiar civilization.
After a moment's contemplation, Li Qing decided to approach for a closer look, driven by both the desire to gather information about this domain and his own curiosity.
Beneath the mushroom city, thick fungal strands hung down, forming broad pathways connecting the ground to the city above.
This city had become its own self-contained world, with few venturing down.
Bathed in the crimson light of the Blood Moon, Li Qing rode Fan Tong through the air, finally approaching the outskirts of Mushroom City.
Sensing no reaction from the colossal mushroom, he guided Fan Tong to land gently on its cap.
Standing before it, Li Qing felt the mushroom's immensity even more acutely. Despite his nascent soul realm cultivation, a sense of insignificance washed over him.
"This Giant Mushroom City is quite intriguing," he mused. "The city's districts are delineated by clusters of smaller mushroom trees."
As he continued to extend his divine sense, he finally detected the first sentient being he had encountered since returning to the World of Eternal Night.
It was a diminutive human with bat wings, a bat person struggling to fly through the air while carrying a massive wooden barrel.
Li Qing remained silent, concealing his presence as he secretly followed the bat person deeper into Mushroom City.
The bat person labored through the air until it reached an area concealed by several mushroom trees.
Suddenly, Li Qing was astonished to see the mushroom trees open their eyes and begin to move with a thunderous rumble.
Li Qing recalled the existence of tree spirits, never expecting to encounter Mushroom Tree Spirits here.
The Mushroom Tree Spirits shifted, opening a path deep into the interior for the bat person. At this point, Li Qing could no longer follow silently.
Fortunately, he possessed divine sense, which could extend over vast distances.
As his divine sense spread outward, Li Qing discovered a powerful third-tier demonic beast restrained behind the Mushroom Tree Spirits.
It was a massive sheep covered in sturdy scales, its horns forged from what appeared to be cast iron, their texture radiating formidable hardness.
Yet even this mighty third-tier exotic beast was riddled with wounds, some still unhealed, fresh blood oozing continuously to soak the surface of the giant mushroom.
Fan Tong sensed the presence of the third-tier exotic beast inside and instinctively opened its mouth to let out a low growl, eager for battle, but Li Qing quickly silenced it.
However, the Iron-Scaled Giant Sheep's senses were remarkably sharp. As if detecting Fan Tong's aura, it roared:
"Baa!"
A sudden bleating pierced the air, startling the bat person so badly that they nearly fell from their perch.
"How strange," the bat person grumbled. "Why is this strange beast so agitated?" Trembling, they cautiously tipped the wooden bucket they were carrying.
Inside were massive quantities of flesh-and-blood spores. Sensing these spores, the Iron-Scaled Giant Sheep immediately ceased its roaring and began devouring the bloody, pulpy spores in large gulps.
Moments later, after swallowing the spores, fresh crimson blood began gushing from the sheep's unhealed wounds.
The blood poured onto the colossal mushroom supporting the city, providing it with vital nutrients and strength to remain standing.
Witnessing this, Li Qing finally understood why powerful strange beasts were rarely seen in this domain.
They had all been captured and confined within Giant Mushroom City, forced to serve as blood slaves, providing beast blood.
(End of the Chapter)
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