Immortality begin with Alchemy Grandmaster Chapter 2746 - 1014: Live and Die Together, the Divine Soul Grows Dim (Part 2)

The cataclysm that befell Zhongzhou involved the four Great Desolates.

Within the vast Mountain Sea Realm, savage beasts were often held in higher regard than human cultivators.

With this realization dawning upon him, Li Canghai wasted no further time and extended his hand, releasing a small seal.

The seal bore the imagery of towering mountains and expansive lakes.

In an instant, the Mountain and Sea Seal descended, engulfing the immense canyon and the black dragon within its confines.

A soft luminescence gradually enveloped the area, creating a barrier that separated the interior from the outside world.

The black dragon stirred, its eyelids fluttering open, and its gaze fell upon Li Canghai.

At this critical juncture, its life force was perilously weak, managing only to utter the word "Master" before succumbing to unconsciousness.

Li Canghai was taken aback. "Master? Could this creature have an owner?"

...

Zhongzhou!

Following the devastating conflict two decades prior, Zhongzhou, once the preeminent power in the Mountain Sea, was fractured into five distinct continents.

It was widely rumored that one of these continents had tragically submerged a decade ago due to the influence of the paramount Great Desolate, the Soul Hanging Wilderness!

Every family, every cultivator, and the vast expanse of land upon it were swallowed by the Netherworld Sea, vanishing without a trace.

Of the four continents that remained, the central location, once dominated by Heaven and Earth Peak, was now rendered uninhabitable and unsuitable for cultivation.

Heaven and Earth Peak had indeed fallen!

This place was originally a Fifth Order Spirit Vein, rivaling the might of Rotten Stalemate Mountain.

The mountain's very fracture had unleashed a torrent of volatile Spirit Qi, which ceaselessly scoured the surrounding lands.

Should a Divine Transformation Great Power dedicate their efforts to its careful restoration, it might, perhaps, be returned to its former glory. However, the Tianyuan Daoist Sect evidently lacked the necessary personnel and resources.

Of the Five Elders of Tianyuan, only a solitary figure now remained.

Furthermore, after his escape from Soulbreak Cliff, he had expended a substantial amount of Yuan Qi, leaving him with no capacity to focus on restoring Heaven and Earth Peak.

Within the confines of Rotten Stalemate Mountain.

Liancheng, his complexion tinged with pallor, fixed his hopeful gaze upon the elder positioned opposite him.

"Ke Lianshan, do you possess the confidence?"

In response to the ancestor's earnest query, the Chess Saint, Ke Lianshan, acknowledged with a solemn nod.

"Although the destruction of Peach Garden caused me to fall short in grasping the Law’s True Intent, my cultivation spanning centuries has ultimately endowed me with the necessary foundation to condense the Primordial Spirit. At that point, I shall merely need to unseal the Lan Ke Chessboard and reclaim my Life Soul to achieve a successful breakthrough to the Divinity Transformation Realm."

Upon hearing this, Ancestor Liancheng could not suppress a series of deep coughs.

"Present the Lan Ke Chessboard for my inspection."

With immediate compliance, Chess Saint Ke Lianshan placed a square, weathered wooden chessboard before Ancestor Liancheng.

This ancient, decaying wooden chessboard, a shadow of its former grandeur, was visibly missing a portion of its corner.

Especially noticeable was the scarcity of white chess pieces, numbering fewer than one hundred and eighty!

During the conflict of that era, in a desperate bid to safeguard Zhongzhou, Sect Master Mo Shouzhuo had channeled all his might into activating the Spiritual Treasure, Lan Ke. Despite his tremendous effort, he could not avert Zhongzhou's catastrophic collapse.

Not only that, but even the white chess pieces, revered for their offensive capabilities, were nearly all consumed, with only eighty-one remaining.

The black chess pieces, designed for the defense of the Divine Soul, had also faded into a dim state.

All these dire consequences were the malevolent handiwork of Emperor Qi Xia!

Ke Lianshan could not help but inquire, "Ancestor, is it now possible to open the Lan Ke Chessboard?"

Ancestor Liancheng shook his head, his voice tinged with despair. "It is a formidable undertaking. This Spiritual Treasure was originally utilized to govern Zhongzhou's Spirit Mechanism. The collapse of Zhongzhou inflicted unimaginable devastation, compelling the Artifact Spirit into an automatic dormancy. To rouse it, either Brother Mo Shouzhuo must still draw breath, or you must achieve the Divine Transformation realm and earn its acknowledgment."

Ke Lianshan's aged countenance contorted with evident distress. "But if it remains unopened, preventing the retrieval of my Life Soul, how can I possibly ascend to the Divine Transformation Stage?"

Unlike numerous other sects scattered across the Mountain Sea Realm, the Tianyuan Daoist Sect imposed remarkably few constraints upon its disciples.

This relative leniency, however, paradoxically fostered the proliferation of ostentatious noble families and powerful lineages that operated with unchecked impunity.

Yet, this superficial freedom concealed an exceedingly stringent form of control.

Specifically, once a disciple of the Daoist Sect achieved the Nascent Soul Realm, a fragment of their Life Soul would be meticulously extracted and retained within the sect's grounds.

This practice differed fundamentally from conventional "soul lamps" or "life plates."

Standard soul lamps and life plates primarily preserved a mere wisp of a disciple's soul-breath, serving the purpose of monitoring the vital signs of significant disciples.

Their indicative value for alerting danger far surpassed any genuine control they exerted.

In stark contrast, the Life Soul extracted by the Tianyuan Daoist Sect constituted an integral component of the cultivator's very Divine Soul!

Without this essential fragment, achieving a breakthrough to the Divine Transformation Stage became virtually an impossibility.

Across countless sects globally, defecting cultivators are a common occurrence, even within renowned Holy Lands like the Dark Abyss Sect and the Yuan Mo Sect.

However, the Tianyuan Daoist Sect stands unique; in three thousand years, not a single Nascent Soul True Master has ever defected.

This remarkable feat is due to their extreme control over the Divine Soul!

Consequently, the Tianyuan Daoist Sect extends this method even to Guest Elders.

These are the external cultivators who join the Star Gate and undertake their cultivation at Heaven and Earth Peak.

Naturally, should a cultivator show promise of breaking through to the Divine Transformation Stage, the Tianyuan Daoist Sect will reinstate that specific part of the Life Soul to its original owner.

The artifact that houses the Life Soul is the Spiritual Treasure known as the Lan Ke Chessboard!

But now, a significant problem has emerged!

Only two individuals possess the ability to activate this Spiritual Treasure: the former Sect Master Mo Shouzhuo, and Ke Lianshan, who has been acknowledged by the Artifact Spirit.

With Mo Shouzhuo deceased and the Artifact Spirit currently dormant, Ke Lianshan, despite being in the Nascent Soul Realm, cannot open the Lan Ke Chessboard.

This presents a most awkward situation!

Thud!

Ancestor Liancheng vehemently slammed the table, his face contorted with rage.

"Demon Phoenix!"

Ke Lianshan, understanding the identity of the entity the Ancestor was cursing, inquired with clear curiosity, "Ancestor, the five of you joined forces, and she was gravely injured during the conflicts in both Mingyuan and Zhongzhou. It's even said she drew upon the power of the Great Desolate, Soul Hanging Wilderness. How was she not slain?"