Southern Border.
A fine rain drifted through the air, and in the cold wind, the verdant mountains stood serene and peaceful under the dim evening sky.
On an unnamed peak, an enormous green pine tree spread its canopy like a pavilion. From the time it first sprouted to its current state, six years had passed.
"Almost, almost. In another half an hour, I'll be able to refine the Seventh Transformation Pine Needle Immortal Gu. Six years of bitter effort..." Seventh Transformation reclusive Immortal Zheng Qing waited in anticipation.
He was a Wood Path Gu Immortal, and this refinement employed the Wood Refinement method.
Although it consumed considerable time, the method drew upon Primordial Lotus Immortal Venerable's brilliant technique, granting a rather high rate of success.
Zheng Qing had originally been nothing more than a mortal, chopping firewood on the mountain, until he fell off a cliff and was caught by a towering lotus in the valley below—massive as a mansion.
By sheer coincidence, Zheng Qing came to inherit a Wood Path legacy left behind by Primordial Lotus Immortal Venerable.
Through arduous cultivation, he became a Gu Immortal. Gradually, he devoted himself entirely to practice, seldom venturing outside. Over several hundred years, he had cultivated to the Seventh Transformation realm.
His temperament favored tranquility, and one had to admit that the Primordial Lotus True Inheritance was truly suited to him. For this refinement, he transformed into the green pine, remaining motionless for six years through wind and rain without pause, cultivating in quiet seclusion while the world changed beyond.
Rumble...
Just then, a deep, resonant rumble suddenly rose from deep underground, as though thousands of colossal beasts were roaring.
"What's going on?" Zheng Qing naturally heard the disturbance and immediately grew alert.
"That makes no sense. My refinement method originates from Primordial Lotus Immortal Venerable. Whether during the process or at its conclusion, it unfolds naturally—subtly and mysteriously, with absolutely no leakage. So it's extremely unlikely anyone would come to steal it. Wait..."
Zheng Qing was initially puzzled, but then a thought struck him.
He recalled an answer.
Several months ago, he had experienced a similar disturbance.
That time, the earth had trembled as though an ancient, unprecedentedly enormous serpent had turned over deep underground. Though the impact wasn't great, it had given Zheng Qing quite a fright.
Afterward, Zheng Qing had communicated with Treasure Yellow Heaven and learned that a massive earthquake—one of unprecedented scale—had struck the entirety of the Southern Border.
"Could this time be the same?"
Zheng Qing's speculation was quickly confirmed.
Just as he had guessed, this was once again an earthquake. However, its scale far exceeded what he had anticipated.
Rumble!
A terrifying earthquake seemed poised to devour everything. Heaven and earth shook violently, as though the end of days had arrived. A colossal fissure split open, stretching across millions of li.
Zheng Qing was exceedingly unfortunate—the nameless little mountain he stood upon was being swallowed by the fissure.
The mountain crumbled. Zheng Qing tried to hold on, but when he reached his limit, he had no choice but to revert to human form.
Even with his excellent temperament, he was furious enough to spit blood. Six years of painstaking effort were on the very verge of bearing fruit, only to be obliterated in this moment.
"Just what is going on with this earthquake! How could I be so unfortu—?!"
Suddenly, his bloodshot, crimson eyes went wide.
Within the magnificent chasm, a peak-sized boulder had emerged. The stone was entirely amber-orange, with a crystalline texture like crystal. Its surface was riddled with countless apertures—some as large as houses, others as small as fists—and copious yellow smoke spurted from these openings in an endless stream.
The smoke grew denser and denser, and soon it transformed into soil around the boulder. In a mere dozen breaths, the original orange crystal monolith had been covered by a thick layer of earth.
Zheng Qing's breathing quickened. He possessed the Primordial Lotus True Inheritance and had considerable knowledge—he recognized such a treasure.
"This is actually Earth Path Crystal Essence from the 'Hu' underground! These are Eighth Transformation immortal materials... Wait!" Zheng Qing extended his investigative killer move further and further.
His eyes grew wider and wider as he cried out in astonishment: "Am I seeing this correctly? It's not just Earth Path Crystal Essence—there's also Jade Body Scales, Subterranean Wandering Flames, Spring Thunder Condensation Dew Pearls..."
These immortal materials were immensely valuable, and their quantities were truly staggering.
The frustration of his failed refinement had been entirely forgotten. Zheng Qing dove downward, busily gathering these natural treasures.
Northern Plains, Langya Blessed Land.
Fang Yuan was cultivating a Sword Path killer move.
Immortal-level killer move—Triple Sword Wave!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Brilliant silver water surges surged and churned endlessly. Three layers of waves, magnificent in their momentum, produced thousands upon thousands of spray crests—every single one razor-sharp.