In the middle of the mountain range, there was a clear lake.
The lake was deep and cold, making it difficult for a meditational cultivator to enter. But to Ling Xian, it posed no threat.
Ling Xian and the Xuan Ming Snake dove deeper and deeper into the lake.
After leaving the Painting of the Nine Immortals, Ling Xian did not return to the cave. Instead, he sought out the Xuan Ming Snake and asked it to take him to the Territory within the Territory.
The lake water was freezing cold, and Ling Xian found it difficult to swim in the water. Occasionally, he would be ambushed by some low-levelled beasts. Fortunately, once he reached the sixth level of Qi, not only could he live without eating, but he could also survive by absorbing spiritual energy from the heavens and the earth. In the water, he could breathe freely like a fish, and he didn't have to worry about drowning.
"Xuan Ming Snake, are you sure this is where the treasure is hidden?" Ling Xian's body began to emit spiritual energy, forming a protective barrier to block the water's pressure.
"Yes, Master, I'm sure." The Xuan Ming Snake nodded, afraid that if it answered too slowly, it would be cooked into a snake stew.
Ling Xian nodded. Then, he stirred up the water and swiftly descended.
Before long, the snake and the man arrived at the deepest part of the lake.
Not far in front of them, there was a whirlpool that looked like a black hole. The whirlpool was filled with nine-colored light, Yin and Yang Qi, and a strong repulsive force surrounded it, isolating everything in the lake.
"Master, it's here." The Xuan Ming Snake's eyes flashed with greed and fear.
"So it's here … it's exactly as you said." Ling Xian studied the whirlpool, his heart burning with passion. According to Liao Cang Qiong, the whirlpool was filled with nine-colored light and Yin and Yang Qi. These were the characteristics of the Territory within the Territory. Although it was dangerous, it was also full of opportunities.
At this moment, a great fortune was right before his eyes, so how could he not be excited?
"Master, I'm not going in. You have to be careful." The Xuan Ming Snake was terrified of this place. Although it was curious about the treasure, it was more concerned about its own life than the treasure.
"I think you want me to die in there. That way, you can continue to be the king of the mountain and live freely." Ling Xian looked at it with a smile that was not a smile.
The Xuan Ming Snake shuddered and cried, "Master, I'm innocent. I've always been loyal to you. Why would I want you dead?"
"Cut the crap. If you want to scram, scram now." Ling Xian waved his hand impatiently. Suddenly remembering Lin Qing Yi, he added, "Right, if that woman wants to leave, don't make things difficult for her. Got it?"
"Yes, Master." The Xuan Ming Snake nodded and swam away without looking back.
"It's much quieter now." Ling Xian flicked his finger and a ray of spiritual energy shot out. However, the moment it reached the edge of the whirlpool, it was blocked by the strong repulsive force and disappeared into the lake.
At this, Ling Xian couldn't help but frown, feeling troubled.
"No wonder the Xuan Ming Snake couldn't get in. This repulsive force is terrifying." Ling Xian muttered to himself. Then, he summoned all the spiritual energy in his body. A giant hand that blotted out the sun appeared behind his back. Bringing with it a giant wave, it slammed into the black hole like whirlpool.
"Boom!"
The water in the lake boiled and splashed high into the sky.
The power of Heaven Shadowing Palm slammed into the vortex, but the mysterious realm within the realm was as stable as Mount Tai. It didn't move at all.
"This …" Ling Xian was in a dilemma. Just as he was about to unleash his Eyes of Execution, a wave of spiritual energy poured out of his body and formed into the shape of a heavy hammer. Then, it smashed down!
"Boom, boom, boom!"
An incomparable amount of energy poured out of him and instantly broke through the repulsive force of the middle realm. What replaced it was a powerful force of attraction. Before Ling Xian could react, he was sucked into a mysterious space.
The entire space was shrouded in fog. It was impossible to tell the difference between day and night. It was impossible to tell north from south. There was no sound at all.
"Be careful, this is the Territory within the Realm." Liao Cang Qiong's voice rang in his mind. Just now, he paid a heavy price to break the rules of the Hidden Territory and help Ling Xian break through the outer layer of the Realm. Therefore, his voice sounded weak.
Ling Xian's heart warmed. He knew that Liao Cang Qiong was willing to pay a heavy price to help him break through the defense of the Realm. He hurriedly asked, "Master, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Liao Cang Qiong chuckled. "From now on, you must be extra careful. Everything in the Territory within the Realm is full of danger. Because I broke the rules of the Hidden Territory, I am very weak right now. You will have to rely on yourself for the rest of the journey."
"Master, do not worry. I will definitely obtain the fortune here and walk out of the Territory safely." Ling Xian nodded heavily. His voice was sonorous, and his entire being exuded confidence.
"Very well, then I will go to sleep now. I will wait for you to leave the Territory within the Realm." Liao Cang Qiong said with a smile. Then, he went silent.
Ling Xian was the only one left to wander around this mysterious place. He looked left, looked right. After observing for a long time, he didn't find anything.
Just when he was at a loss, a cold and emotionless voice suddenly spoke.
"Welcome to the Territory within the Realm, adventurer."
"Who is it?" Ling Xian's heart skipped a beat. But he quickly realized that he had heard this voice before. It was the voice of the Spirit of the Hidden Territory.
"Don't be afraid. Because you are the first cultivator to enter the Territory within the Realm, I have decided to give you a gift." The Spirit of the Hidden Territory continued.
"What gift?" Ling Xian's interest was piqued.
"I will send you back to your original world." The Spirit of the Hidden Territory's voice suddenly had a strange tone.
"Go back?" Ling Xian was taken aback. He had worked so hard to get here, and Liao Cang Qiong had even challenged the rules of the Hidden Territory. All of this was for him to obtain a great fortune. But now, the Spirit of the Hidden Territory was saying it would send him back. Ling Xian was enraged. "Are you kidding me?"
"No, I never joke with people. Think about it carefully. Right now, all the Demonic Beasts in the entire Mystic Realm are chasing after you. Sending you back to the outside world is equivalent to saving your life. Don't tell me this is not good fortune? What kind of gift is better than life? "The Spirit of the Hidden Territory said slowly.
Hearing this, Ling Xian frowned. Even though he felt like something was wrong, he had to admit that the Spirit of the Hidden Territory was right. The beasts in the Hidden Territory were in a frenzy. They swore to kill him. If he could leave the Hidden Territory ahead of time, he would be able to avoid danger. To him, this was indeed a gift.
"What will happen if I don't accept?" Ling Xian asked slowly. If he were to go back empty-handed, he would not be satisfied.
"Impossible. In my territory, no life can defy my will. If I want you to go back, you must go back."
The Spirit of the Hidden Territory's voice echoed in Ling Xian's mind. A mysterious force wrapped around his body. Then, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. It was as if time and space had changed, mysterious and strange.
The next second.
Ling Xian's silhouette appeared in the Thousand Mountains Forest.
A gentle breeze blew past, ruffling his hair and messing up his thoughts.
"I … I can't believe it really sent me back. But why do I feel like something is wrong?"
Ling Xian frowned. He stood there thinking for a long time, but he couldn't find any clues. He could only shake his head with a bitter smile. "Whatever. Since I'm back, there's no point in thinking about it. Even though my hopes for the Territory within a Territory were dashed, at least I managed to avoid danger. All in all, I didn't lose anything."
Thinking like this, Ling Xian felt a lot more relaxed. Gazing at the white clouds in the sky, he leisurely walked back to his home.
Half a month later, the rest of the Ling Clan returned safely from the Hidden Territory. As promised, Ling Xian enjoyed a feast at the Pavilion of the Drunken Immortals and returned home.
That day, he was drunk.
The days that followed were uneventful, almost unchanging. Other than training, Ling Xian went to the Thousand Mountains Forest to fight with beasts, honing his combat experience and skills.
Spring passed and autumn came. Winter passed and summer arrived. Time flew by, and a year had passed.
This year, Ling Xian's cultivation had reached the ninth level of Qi. He was only one step away from the foundational level, but he didn't want to break through. Instead, he wanted to break through to the legendary tenth level of Qi. He wanted to build a solid foundation before breaking through to the foundational level.
Just then, something happened that shook the City of Qing.
The other two clans of the City of Qing joined forces and blew the horn to attack the Ling Clan. Caught off guard, the Ling Clan was forced to defend and wait for an opportunity to strike.
However, even though the overall strength of the Ling Clan was not weak, under the combined attack of the Fang Clan and the Qi Clan, the Ling Clan was forced to retreat step by step. They only managed to hold on for a day before the Qi Clan and the Fang Clan broke through their protective formation.
What followed next was a complete massacre.
The Ling Clan was united and fought to the death. However, they were slaughtered by the alliance. Their corpses piled up like a small mountain, and their blood flowed like a river.
Ling Xian did not die. Under the protection of the previous Clan Leader, he was lucky enough to escape. Before his eyes, every single member of the Ling Clan had died. His anger was unquenchable, but his heart was full of sorrow and helplessness.
That day, he was enraged.
He swore in his heart that he would improve his cultivation as soon as possible. One day, he would slaughter the Fang Clan and the Qi Clan to appease the souls of the Ling Clan in heaven.
Then, with the help of Lin Qing Yi, Ling Xian left the City of Qing in the middle of the night and began a great escape.
Just like that, he ate the wind and drank the dew, wandered from place to place, and finally managed to shake off the pursuers of the two clans. He arrived at a rich and beautiful city, the City of Cang Yun.
Here, Ling Xian concealed his identity. First, he purchased a piece of land. Then, with his relatively good alchemy skills, he opened a shop that specialized in selling spiritual Dans.
Because every Dan he brewed was more than 50% effective, and the price was much lower than the market price, he was loved by many nomadic cultivators.
As time went on, more and more nomadic cultivators came to know of this House of Dan. Even some influential figures in the City of Cang Yun had heard of it.
At this point, Ling Xian had made a name for himself in the City of Cang Yun and had finally gained a foothold.
Sadly, the good times did not last long.
Just when Ling Xian thought he could finally settle down and focus on his training, a disaster quietly befell him.
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