Chapter 1148: Peak of the Cloud Sea, The Dao Scripture

Green grass covered the ground here, and there was no mist. Scenery far away was visible at a glance. Wang Lin sped along, moving through the edges of various valleys. He occasionally stopped, concentrating and closing his eyes for a moment, as if sensing the location of the path. Before long, he would immediately open his eyes and step forward.

The mountain range ahead, resembling a massive wall, was visible in the distance. As time passed, Wang Lin gradually drew closer.

After roughly a day, Wang Lin stopped outside a valley. This location was already extremely close to the towering mountain range; passing through this valley would lead straight to the foot of the mountains.

Staring at the valley ahead, Wang Lin showed a pensive expression. This valley felt somewhat strange. After observing it carefully for a moment, Wang Lin's eyes flashed. As he performed Hand Seals with his right hand, a Restriction materialized. He then tapped his glabella, and a black thread instantly flew out from his brow, twisting and transforming into a Restriction mark that flew forward.

The Restriction floated in the Void Realm, emitting a black glow and enveloping the surroundings.

Under the cover of this black light, fluorescence immediately flickered upon the green grass on the ground ahead, faintly revealing a strange pattern shaped like a plum blossom. The moment he saw this pattern, Wang Lin's eyes narrowed.

"Plum Blossom Eighteen Restrictions!"

These Plum Blossom Eighteen Restrictions had not existed here for ages; they had been set up just a day ago, clearly by the Old Woman in Green Robes. The Plum Blossom Eighteen Restrictions are an extremely high-level existence among Restriction Formations, derived from the Heart Shattering Restriction, one of the Four Great Ancient Restrictions. If Wang Lin had encountered a Restriction of this level before going to the Luotian Star Domain, he definitely would not have been able to break it.

However, during his trip to the Luotian Star Domain, Wang Lin inherited the Legacy of the Heart Shattering Restriction, one of the Four Great Ancient Restrictions. Breaking the Plum Blossom Eighteen Restrictions, which evolved from the Shattering Restriction right before him, would not be difficult.

"The Old Woman in Green Robes left this Restriction here, likely for an ambush or a warning…" Wang Lin's eyes flickered. He was about to step forward, but suddenly paused again, looking carefully at the Plum Blossom Eighteen Restrictions on the ground.

He had a faint feeling that the matter was not so simple.

Extending his full Divine Sense, Wang Lin meticulously searched every inch of the ground outside the valley. Gradually, his expression turned serious, especially after seeing a faint, hard-to-spot black glow near the center of the Plum Blossom Eighteen Restrictions. In his mind, the techniques the Old Woman in Green Robes used when absorbing the Flood Dragon's flesh and blood and when opening the Nine Step Heaven Sealing Formation resurfaced.

He had previously found the Restriction methods of the Old Woman in Green Robes somewhat strange, but since it was inconvenient to observe her closely face-to-face, he couldn't see through them clearly. However, the Restriction outside the valley was laid bare before him. After concentrating and pondering for a long time, understanding dawned in Wang Lin's eyes.

"Using the vitality of myriad spirits to form a Death Restriction, this method is very similar to the Life-Death Restriction, one of the Four Great Ancient Restrictions…" Wang Lin was silent for a moment. He squatted down, and his right hand flickered with a faint light. He slowly placed it next to a patch of green grass in front of him, pushing aside some soil, and his gaze instantly sharpened.

The roots of the grass were already rotten, and little vitality remained. In just a few more hours, they would lose all life force, and at that time, the Formation here would be completely activated.

"The Old Woman in Green Robes had Cang Songzi accompanying her, so she didn't have time to meticulously set up the Formation. She could only simply leave a Restriction, allowing it to absorb the life force of the plants and trees here. Once all the vitality is absorbed, it will activate," Wang Lin murmured to himself, developing a high degree of vigilance toward the Old Woman in Green Robes.

"This Restriction is only halfway complete right now, so it's not impossible to break. Why don't I…" A cold smile appeared on Wang Lin's lips. He stood up, retreated a few steps, and performed Hand Seals, pointing forward. Immediately, the Seal Art, which was transformed from the Heart Shattering Restriction and emitted a black glow covering the surroundings, shook violently. It then instantly collapsed, turning into specks of black light that scattered and fell onto the grassy area.

"Instead of breaking this Formation, I will leave my own brand and Restriction on it before it is fully completed. This way, I can occupy the magpie's nest without the Old Woman in Green Robes realizing it… Fusing the power of my Heart Shattering Restriction and the Life-Death Restriction—two of the Four Great Ancient Restrictions—even Cang Songzi would be severely wounded if he stepped into it unknowingly!" Wang Lin carefully stepped forward, passing through the grassy area with extreme caution until he entered the valley, where he finally let out a sigh of relief.

After glancing around, Wang Lin's gaze fell upon the end of the valley ahead, where it connected to the massive, wall-like mountain range. This mountain range was extremely steep, subtly revealing a rugged, imposing presence.

Without pausing, Wang Lin moved like lightning, heading straight for the mountain to climb. Recalling the Life-Death Restriction he had just seen, Wang Lin couldn't help but remember Li Yuan's words from back then.

"When heaven and earth were first created, rules appeared. Over time, one Dao branched out, called Restriction! Or Formation! The names differ, but the general meaning is the same. The four grades—Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow—have been the long-standing classification for Restrictions! But above Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow, there is another level, which those of our generation call Void! When Void is divided into four, it becomes the Four Great Restriction Arts."

"The Four Great Ancient Restrictions, besides the Shattering Restriction and the Life-Death Restriction, include the Ancient Soul Restriction and the mysterious Time Restriction! Even the Restrictions in the Immortal Realm mostly branched out from these Four Great Restrictions and have been passed down to the present day."

As he climbed the mountain range, Wang Lin's eyes showed contemplation.

"When I left Luotian back then, Li Yuan said that if one could learn all Four Great Ancient Restrictions and fuse them together, relying on immense wisdom, one could comprehend the Void Technique from the Four Great Restrictions… Void is the Peak of Restrictions! However, for countless millennia, ever since the Dao of Restrictions branched out from the rules at the creation of heaven and earth, no one has ever been able to comprehend Void through Restrictions." Wang Lin sighed inwardly, stopping his contemplation on the matter and focusing all his energy on sensing the route taken by Cang Songzi and the other person.

Another half day passed. Covered by the seven-colored light in the sky, Wang Lin stood at the highest point of the mountain range. Standing there, he seemed cloaked in the vast seven colors. From a distance, his entire being was immersed in the seven-colored light, like an immortal deity.

This massive, wall-like mountain range coiled in a ring shape, separating the outer world from the interior into two distinct regions. Thick mist permeated this area, making it impossible to see the scenery within.

It was like a black ocean, subtly surging with waves.

Gazing forward, Wang Lin clearly sensed that Cang Songzi was inside the mist. Wang Lin's eyes were icy cold. He leaped down, following the mountain range straight toward the bottom, gradually moving further away.

Cang Songzi wore the God-Devil Armor and maintained an extremely cautious expression. Inside this mist, his mind grew tenser with every step he took. The Old Woman in Green Robes beside him was also currently surrounded by black Qi outside her body.

It was quiet all around, with only the slow sound of their footsteps echoing.

"The person surnamed Lü should be dead by now. Pang Decai excels at Soul Search and must have gained something, especially regarding the Spirit Command Seal. That technique is a great Divine Ability of the Divine Sect." Cang Songzi mentally calculated the time. He and Pang Decai had cooperated many times, often knowing each other's thoughts with just a look.

"Pang Decai should also be on his way now…" Cang Songzi's eyes flickered imperceptibly.

"Fellow Daoist Cang Songzi, how far away is the place you mentioned?" The Old Woman in Green Robes, who had been silent the whole way, suddenly spoke.

"It's not far, it should be just ahead." Cang Songzi replied. As he spoke, he suddenly paused, and at the same time, the Old Woman in Green Robes also stopped, cautiously looking forward.

Just ahead in the mist, a blurred statue of a giant rock was faintly visible. The statue was hidden within the mist, appearing as if it were moving or changing along with the surging clouds of mist.

The two exchanged glances and slowly walked toward it. Before long, they arrived beneath the giant rock statue and looked up.

This was a giant rock about a hundred zhang high, carved into the likeness of a man. The man was looking up at the sky, his eyes thoughtful, and there was a lightning-shaped mark above his glabella.

"This is…" The Old Woman in Green Robes was startled. Staring at the mark on the statue's glabella, her expression suddenly changed.

Just then, sudden, ethereal voices drifted faintly from the thick mist all around. The voices were eerie, containing a power that penetrated the Soul, coming and going, making it impossible to distinguish the direction they came from.

"Mingzhi, imprisoned by the Dao of Heaven Sealing, sentient beings must cross the Boundless Tribulation, leave the obsession of the deep prison, and dedicate themselves to the Cultivation Journey…"

"Mingzhi, sentient beings also, before the boundless, resolve the confusion of the current era, escape the thought of heavenly confinement, seize the Dao of the next life, and dedicate themselves to the Cultivation Journey…"

"Mingzhi, locking the fate of the deceased heaven, sealing the Underworld Dynasty, those sentient beings who do not obtain the True Dao shall forever sink into the Sea of Bitterness, eternally losing the True Dao, and dedicate themselves to the Cultivation Journey…"

These segments of eerie voices slowly drifted through the mist, blending into the surroundings.

Cang Songzi's face immediately turned pale, and he looked around in terror. The Old Woman in Green Robes also gasped sharply. Those strange words lingered in her mind, constantly echoing, actually causing her Primordial Spirit to tremble and her Dao Heart to become unstable.

"Who are they… what do these words mean…" The Old Woman in Green Robes looked at Cang Songzi.

"They are the Mingzhi…" As soon as Cang Songzi finished speaking, the mist ahead suddenly churned, and an illusory figure drifted out from within. Its speed was too fast, passing directly between Cang Songzi and the Old Woman in Green Robes.

That eerie voice clearly entered the minds of both individuals.

"Cang Songzi, what exactly are the Mingzhi?" The Old Woman in Green Robes' face was pale, and the segments of speech continuously echoing in her mind were making her faintly unable to bear it.

"The Lost Ones have lost their Dao, searching in confusion, constantly drifting throughout this Seven-Colored Realm, aimlessly seeking… The Mingzhi possess a Dao Realm, but after viewing the Dao Scripture, their Dao Heart collapsed and they could not reform it. They can only drift in this mist, endlessly pursuing for countless eons… They may already be dead, and what remains are merely dao souls born from obsession!" Cang Songzi fell silent, listening to the continuous voices in his ear, and spoke in a low voice.

"The Dao Scripture?" The Old Woman in Green Robes' eyes narrowed!

Cang Songzi raised his head, his eyes revealing fanaticism, and slowly said, "That's right, the Dao Scripture! I had never heard of this object before discovering the Seven-Colored Realm, but after entering here, I learned from countless clues that there is a Dao Scripture in this world, rumored to be formed from the blood of the Heavenly Dao…"

"What they are constantly reciting, could it be that… Dao Scripture?" The Old Woman in Green Robes gasped. The news she was hearing now was truly too shocking and terrifying.