Chapter 286: Return (First update!)

The scorching sun hung high in the sky. Sun Wen wore a blue robe, hands behind his back, sitting suspended on a massive Dragon Throne in mid-air. On either side of him stood two enchanting women. One held a large parasol to shade him, while the other held a blue porcelain floral bowl containing plum soup chilled with ice.

On the ground, countless Cultivators of this country stood densely packed, all holding their breath and concentrating, awaiting the moment the Outer Realm Battlefield would open.

Among these people, besides the Elders of various sects, all were elites of the country. They were going to the Outer Realm Battlefield to undergo tempering, thereby allowing their cultivation to advance to a higher level.

Of course, there were also a few individuals who were the unpopular Disciples, sent to the Outer Realm Battlefield, their life or death left to fate.

Time passed slowly. Although the sun was blazing hot, these Cultivators were not Mortals, and their Physiques could naturally withstand it, showing no signs of fatigue.

However, many young Disciples occasionally looked up at Sun Wen in mid-air, their eyes revealing envy.

Sun Wen greatly enjoyed this gaze. He extended his right hand, and the woman next to him immediately presented the Plum Soup. Sun Wen picked up the white jade spoon inside, scooped up a plum, and drank it along with the soup, immediately feeling a refreshing coolness surge through his body.

These plums were not ordinary items; they were Spirit Medicine specially cultivated by the Gongsun Country. Drinking one could significantly consolidate one's cultivation.

Especially this kind of Plum Soup, prepared using a special method, was practically like heavenly nectar.

Undoubtedly, Sun Wen was a person who knew how to enjoy life!

At this moment, three quarters of an hour had passed. Sun Wen put down the white jade spoon and slowly said, "You all know the rules of the Outer Realm Battlefield, but I have one more rule here: everything you obtain must be inspected by me before arrangements can be made. Keep that in mind!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the people from the various sects below all agreed. However, a few Cultivators in the Nascent Soul Stage, despite their outwardly respectful demeanor, were sneering inwardly.

Sun Wen patted his Storage Pouch, and immediately five jade stones flew out. He bit his fingertip, squeezed out five drops of blood, which landed on the jade stones, and then he tossed them forward.

Instantly, the five jade stones shot out, transforming into five streams of crystalline light, forming a circular pattern floating in mid-air. Following this, Sun Wen performed Hand Seals with both hands and chanted a few incantations, causing the crystalline light of the jade stones to intensify.

After a few breaths, Sun Wen took a deep breath, sweat faintly visible on his forehead. He took a jade bottle from his Storage Pouch, poured out a few pills, and swallowed them in one gulp. He then stared intently at the jade stones in mid-air, a look of triumph in his eyes.

The crystalline light of the five jade stones grew brighter and brighter, until finally, a black Vortex actually appeared within them. As soon as this black Vortex appeared, it immediately swallowed the crystalline light and then grew larger and larger.

Before long, the crystalline light completely disappeared, leaving only a black hole in mid-air that was incompatible with its surroundings. Chilling Qi emanated from within. If one looked inside, they could occasionally see fragments of Magic Treasures, Materials, and corpses drifting past.

Sun Wen coughed lightly, the triumphant look in his eyes deepening. He said, "Today…" Just as he spoke, his eyes suddenly widened, staring straight at the black hole, his gaze filled with shock.

At the same time, all the Cultivators on the ground gasped, staring in horror at the black hole in mid-air.

They saw a pale arm reach out from the black hole, grab the edge, and tear outward. Instantly, the black hole was violently ripped open, forming a massive gap. Immediately afterward, a white-robed young man slowly walked out from within.

The moment this person appeared, the scorching sun in the sky was instantly covered by a dark cloud, and the land immediately grew dim.

Sun Wen was dumbfounded, his heart pounding wildly. Without any hesitation, he recognized immediately that the cultivation of the person who walked out of the Outer Realm Battlefield was unfathomable to him. However, having grown up in a Level Four Cultivation Country, his eyesight was naturally good. Based on his guess, he was certain this person possessed Soul Transformation cultivation.

He quickly stood up from the Dragon Throne, rushed forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Junior Sun Wen of the Gongsun Country greets Senior."

The person who walked out of the Outer Realm Battlefield was naturally Wang Lin.

After walking out, he glanced around blankly. His gaze gradually focused, and he swept his eyes over Sun Wen, slowly asking, "Is this the Gongsun Country?"

Under Wang Lin's single glance, Sun Wen immediately felt a chill run through his body, as if his mind had been completely seen through. He became even more respectful and quickly said, "Senior, this place is not the Gongsun Country. It is merely the place where this Junior conducts trials: the Level Three Cultivation Country, Wuwen Country."

Wang Lin pondered for a moment. He had seen the Wuwen Country on a map Jade Slip; it was a small country located in the eastern region. This place was incredibly far from the Cultivation Devil Sea, requiring traversing almost half of the Vermilion Bird Star.

During his years in the Outer Realm Battlefield, Wang Lin had traveled a great distance to collect Wandering Souls.

He glanced around, moved his body, and vanished from the spot.

Seeing the other party leave, Sun Wen finally let out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was quite shocked internally; when he saw this person, he felt as if he had encountered his Family's Old Ancestor.

At this moment, he had lost all interest in maintaining his imposing presence. After hastily leaving a few words, he quickly flew towards his residential tower. He needed to immediately report this matter to his Family.

In his mind, a Soul Transformation Cultivator who could walk out of the Outer Realm Battlefield was definitely not an unknown figure.

When Wang Lin reappeared, he was atop a mountain peak that soared into the clouds. This mountain was named Heaven Breaker, and according to the map Jade Slip, it was the highest peak in the Wuwen Country.

On this mountain peak, Wang Lin pondered. After years of use, he didn't have many Top-Grade Spirit Stones left. This kind of Spirit Stone was uncommon even on the Vermilion Bird Star. Wang Lin decided not to waste them on travel but to save them for life-saving purposes.

Wang Lin's trip to the Outer Realm Battlefield this time yielded significant rewards. He hadn't expected that once his Primordial Spirit formed, his Soul Devourer seemed to have evolved as well.

Gently touching his brow, Wang Lin revealed a slight smile. He was now fully confident about this trip to the Immortal Realm. As long as he didn't encounter Cultivators in the Soul Transformation Late Stage, or that Heaven's Proud Daughter of the Snow Domain Country, Wang Lin was absolutely certain he could defeat ordinary Soul Transformation Middle Stage Cultivators.

Even if he encountered the Soul Transformation Late Stage, with the preparations he had made over the years, he could safely escape and would not be in Mortal danger.

In reality, the reason Wang Lin prepared so thoroughly for this trip to the Immortal Realm was not only to obtain Immortal Realm Qi, but also for self-preservation.

Once the Immortal Realm Gate opened, although the cultivation of the Cultivators entering must be restricted to the Soul Transformation Stage, or else it would cause collapse, one must realize that there would definitely be Cultivators above the Soul Transformation Stage participating this time. In other words, it was highly likely that Nascent Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators would be involved.

Although such people would be few, they certainly existed. Even if they restricted their cultivation to Soul Transformation, their might was absolutely not something ordinary Soul Transformation Cultivators could resist. This was why Wang Lin had made such thorough preparations.

As for the legendary Soul Transformation Stage Old Monsters who resided only in Level Six cultivation Countries and ignored worldly affairs—whether they would enter the Immortal Realm—Wang Lin couldn't guess. But he thought it highly unlikely, since throughout the entire Vermilion Bird Country, there were definitely not many Soul Transformation Stage Old Monsters, perhaps no more than five.

This was Wang Lin's analysis based on his years of Cultivating, his understanding of the Vermilion Bird Star, and the difficulty of advancing cultivation above Soul Transformation. Although not perfectly accurate, it was not far from the truth.

In reality, Wang Lin's guess was too high. In the Vermilion Bird Country, there were only four Soul Transformation Stage Old Monsters! Among them, two were only in the Soul Transformation Early Stage, one was in the Soul Transformation Middle Stage, and the last one was the sole individual possessing a Soul Transformation Late Stage Great Divine Ability, and was also the inheritor of the name Vermilion Bird.

These four individuals rarely left the Vermilion Bird Country and paid no attention to the affairs of any Cultivation Country. For them, very little in the Mortal world could still move their hearts.

These four only took action when Cultivators from external planets came to cause trouble on the Vermilion Bird Star.

Wang Lin took a deep breath, his eyes glittering. The Spirit Beast, Restriction Banner, and Devil Head were all ready. He had also refined the fan, which now only had two feathers remaining, while he was in the Outer Realm Battlefield.

The three mysterious Scabbards were also refined by Wang Lin using his Primordial Spirit.

Besides these, Wang Lin had also managed to break open three of the dozen or so Magical Artifacts he obtained from ancient Cultivators inside his Storage Pouch over the years, turning them into his own Magic Treasures.

There was only one item in his Storage Pouch that Wang Lin still couldn't see through: a Scroll, which he had obtained years ago from an ordinary Cultivator in the Cultivation Devil Sea!

The moment this Scroll was opened, it was completely dark inside, yet a terrifying Qi rushed forth. Wang Lin had opened this Scroll a total of three times!

The first time was during the Core Formation Stage, the second was during the Nascent Soul Stage, and the third was now, during the Soul Transformation Stage. Each time he opened it, his feeling was different. Inside this Scroll, there seemed to be a mysterious power that made one tremble.

Wang Lin sighed lightly. Flipping his right hand, the Scroll appeared in his grasp. He remained silent for a moment, having somewhat forgotten whose hands he originally obtained the Scroll from.

Tossing the Scroll upward, Wang Lin performed Primordial Spirit Leaving the Body and began refining it.

This was a habit he had maintained consistently over the years. Each time he refined the Scroll, he gained an extra thread of connection with it.

A few hours later, as the sky darkened, Wang Lin's Primordial Spirit returned to his body, and he put away the Scroll.

“The day the Heavenly Dao opens should be soon. Now, only the final preparation remains, but this preparation requires trees that are a hundred or even a thousand years old.” Wang Lin muttered to himself, his eyes flashing. His Divine Sense immediately swept out, passing over the entire Wuwen Country.

Following this, he moved his body and vanished from the spot.

Three months later, Wang Lin had traveled through the seven surrounding cultivation Countries, collected some century-old trees, and created an Immortal Cave within a cliff face where he entered seclusion to carve wooden sculptures.

Thousand-year-old trees were too difficult to find, and Wang Lin never managed to locate any. Even century-old trees were rare.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Wang Lin cast aside all trivial matters and fully immersed himself in the wood carving.

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