DiploNovel Chapter 1859 The Ancient Realm of the Azure Sky in the Sea of Calamity
Chapter 1859 The Ancient Realm of the Azure Sky in the Sea of Calamity
"We must find a relatively stable area, or... find a way to leave the Sea of Calamity," Zhang Xuan said in a deep voice.
But how easy is it to talk about?
The sea of calamity was boundless, the Great Dao was in chaos, space and time were distorted, and even direction could not be discerned.
They are now like a small boat thrown into a raging sea, which could capsize at any moment.
The two continued their journey through the chaos, proceeding cautiously, as if walking on thin ice.
In the days that followed, they encountered all sorts of dangers and perils at sea.
Each obstacle left them in a sorry state, forcing them to reveal all their cards.
Nearly 30% of the Spacetime Origin Crystal was consumed, nearly 40% of the Ninth-Order Creation Seed was consumed, and the power of the Myriad Laws True Fire was greatly reduced after multiple uses.
The two of them were in even worse condition.
The Great Dao Ferry was riddled with cracks, its foundation damaged, and its spirit exhausted.
Just when they were about to give up, a turning point appeared.
Zhang Xuan and Jiao'er had just escaped a tide of law annihilation and were catching their breath on a relatively stable floating island of rules.
Suddenly, Zhang Xuan's causal branch authority detected an extremely faint... fluctuation of order.
In the midst of eternal chaos, this sliver of order is like a firefly in the night, faint yet crystal clear.
"Over there!" Zhang Xuan pointed into the depths of chaos. "Any place where order exists is either naturally formed by the sea of tribulation, or a stronghold established by cultivators!"
The two perked up and cautiously moved forward in the direction of the fluctuations in order.
As the distance closed, the fluctuations in order became increasingly clear.
Zhang Xuan could even discern that it was the Daoist rhythm formed by the orderly interweaving of multiple Daoist rules.
"There really are cultivators in the Sea of Calamity!" Hope flashed in Jiao'er's eyes.
Those who can establish a base in a place like the Sea of Calamity are definitely not ordinary forces.
There must be at least one Golden Immortal in charge, and there's likely more than one!
Finally, after passing through a thick, chaotic fog, the scene before them stunned them.
It was a massive fortress floating in the sea of calamity.
It was forged from countless fragments of stars, world debris, and divine gold and iron.
Its scale is comparable to the nine divine realms!
The continental surface is covered by layers upon layers of protective arrays.
The Daoist aura emanating from those formations was so strong, and the structure so exquisite, that it far surpassed any formation Zhang Xuan had ever seen.
The array's light curtain displayed a deep, starry blue hue, with countless illusory stars swirling within, creating a stark contrast to the chaos of the sea of calamity.
In the heart of the mainland, nine towering skyscrapers can be faintly seen reaching into the clouds.
At the top of each tower, a huge Dao seal floats, radiating the pressure of the Great Dao!
Nine towers, nine Taoist seals.
This means that... at least nine Golden Immortals are stationed here!
"The Ancient Realm of Starry Sky".
Four ancient characters, in the form of Daoist runes, were engraved on the protective light barrier at the edge of the continent.
Zhang Xuan and Jiao'er exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
By sheer chance, they actually found an ancient force hidden deep within the Sea of Calamity!
"Halt!"
A majestic voice came from the direction of the mainland.
Immediately afterwards, twelve figures flew out from the protective light barrier, forming a fan shape to surround Zhang Xuan and Jiao'er.
These twelve people all possessed powerful auras and were actually at the peak of True Immortal cultivation!
They wore uniform star armor, engraved with star patterns that originated from the same formations on the continent, and held standard star spears in their hands, the tips of which gleamed with a cold light that could tear through the void.
What caught Zhang Xuan's attention even more was that after these twelve people formed a battle formation, their auras were faintly connected, and they actually had a trace of the power of the early Golden Immortal!
This is a well-trained and perfectly coordinated elite battle formation!
"Where do you two come from? Why have you trespassed into the territory of my Starry Sky Ancient Realm?"
The middle-aged general in the lead asked in a deep voice, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Zhang Xuan and Jiao'er, lingering for a moment on their damaged ferry.
Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and cupped his hands, saying, "I am Zhang Xuan, and this is my wife, Jiao'er. We come from the Nine Divine Realms. We were being chased by a powerful enemy and accidentally entered the Sea of Tribulation. After escaping by chance, we lost our way and happened to sense the fluctuations in order here. We have come to ask for your help and have no ill intentions."
"The Nine Divine Realms?" The middle-aged general frowned slightly, seemingly searching for the name in his memory.
Another young general behind him whispered, "Captain, what about the Nine Provinces of the Heavenly Dragon mentioned in ancient books?"
The middle-aged general suddenly realized, and looked at Zhang Xuan and Jiao'er with a more scrutinizing gaze: "Are you cultivators from the Desolate Nine Provinces Realm?"
“Exactly.” Zhang Xuan nodded, but a chill ran through him.
The middle-aged general exchanged a few glances with his companion, seemingly discussing something in hushed tones.
After a moment, he spoke: "Since you two have stumbled upon this place by mistake and come from a realm with which we have a connection, we can grant you temporary protection according to the law. However, you will need to seal your cultivation and enter the realm with us for inspection. If we verify that you are correct, we will release you. Is that acceptable?"
Zhang Xuan and Jiao'er exchanged a glance.
Sealing cultivation level?
In this unfamiliar place, it's tantamount to handing your life and death over to someone else.
But they refused? In their current state, they were utterly powerless to fight against this terrifying force that possessed at least nine Golden Immortals.
Moreover, they do need to rest.
“Okay.” Zhang Xuan finally nodded, “but we hope to retain basic self-defense capabilities and that the review process should not be too long.”
The middle-aged general pondered for a moment: "You can retain 30% of your cultivation, and the review period will be no more than 30 days. This is the bottom line."
"make a deal."
Zhang Xuan and Jiao'er concealed their auras, allowing the other party to place seven star seals on them.
The moment the seal was applied, the two felt their own ferry's operation was greatly restricted, and they could only mobilize about 30% of their power.
Fortunately, the seal only restricts output and does not damage the Dao itself.
"Please come with me."
With a wave of his hand, the middle-aged general opened a portal through the protective light barrier.
Zhang Xuan and Jiao'er, along with twelve members of the Star Guard, flew into this mysterious ancient realm suspended deep within the Sea of Calamity.
The moment they stepped into the light curtain, the two felt a sense of lightness throughout their bodies.
All the chaos in the outside world disappeared, replaced by clear and orderly rules of the Great Dao.
This place is like a paradise in the midst of a calamity.
Deep within the continent, atop the nine towers, nine Dao seals flickered faintly, as if gazes pierced through the void and fell upon the two newly arrived Golden Immortals.
The two sensed that the Great Dao rules here were even more ancient and complete than those of the Nine Divine Realms.
These are the rules of the Holy Ancient Avenue.
The Holy Ancient Era, the legendary age when all things were first born and all gods coexisted.
Zhang Xuan's gaze swept over the nine towering towers that reached into the clouds, over the nine Dao seals floating on the top of the towers, and finally landed on the ground beneath his feet.
This is a land formed from the melting of countless fragments of stars.
He could sense that each fragment came from a different world; some still retained the warmth of the Flame Path, while others solidified the patterns of gravity rules.
But these fragments were forged into one by some incredible force, no longer broken wreckage, but the most solid foundation of this continent.