I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Boom!

The centuries-old tree Lu Nanzhi was hiding in exploded into a shower of wood chips under the claws of the Black Armored Qilin.

A sword hum resounded, and snow flew everywhere, freezing everything in its wake, preserving the tree in its explosion-splattered state.

Xiong Yanhong flashed into view, swept his sleeve, and the snow shattered and vanished, leaving no trace of anyone behind.

The sharp sword intent lingering in the air left a layer of frost on Xiong Yanhong’s hair. When the breeze blew, the strands broke.

He caught his broken hair and felt the overpowering Sword Qi tinged with extreme cold, furrowing his brows.

"Such strong Cold Ice Sword Intent, who is it?"

"True... True Monarch, should we pursue?"

Two Nascent Soul Cultivators hurried over, asking respectfully.

Xiong Yanhong shook his head slightly, "No need to pursue, you are no match for this person. The matter at hand is urgent. First, take Zhuge Ziyin to the Fourth Layer. Once Shen Mingjing arrives, we can enter the interior of the Kunxi Divine Palace."

Xiong Yanhong always remembered when he first entered the Kunxi Secret Realm years ago; it was a life-and-death situation. By accident, he entered the outskirts of the Kunxi Divine Palace and obtained a minor inheritance from the Qilin Clan, allowing him to break through from the Late-Stage Nascent Soul to Divinity Transformation, surpassing his older brother, Xiong Yanqing, in cultivation.

He even turned his Primordial Spirit into a Black Armored Qilin, mastering the Black Armored Qilin Dharma, rarely finding opponents since.

This time, he not only plans to take in all the divine skills and inheritances of the Qilin Clan but also obtain the ultimate treasure in the depths of the Kunxi Divine Palace.

That is said to be the supreme secret treasure that allowed Immortal Monarch Chongmin to grasp the Water Dao Fruit and step into Mahayana.

If everything goes smoothly, the Xiong Family can rest easy afterward, securing the top position not just in the Nine Rivers Realm, but throughout the entire Tianshi Star Alliance!

Resolute in thought, Xiong Yanhong cast a deep glance in the direction where Lu Nanzhi escaped, then swiftly left with his two subordinates and the unconscious Zhuge Ziyin, heading toward the Immortal Palace hidden in the misty clouds to the east.

*

Lu Nanzhi fled non-stop, not daring to rest. The aura from that person just now was clearly of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator level, and grabbing Zhuge Ziyin must have a motive.

But Lu Nanzhi alone couldn’t contend with a Divinity Transformation Cultivator and had to choose to temporarily avoid them.

From their appearance, they intend to use Zhuge Ziyin for something, so before their goal is achieved, Zhuge Ziyin’s life will be spared.

"Little Bai, where on earth are you?"

Jiang Yuebai had already informed Lu Nanzhi about the cooperation between the Zhuge Family and Heavenly Interence Sect, so for the sake of the Heavenly Interence Sect, Lu Nanzhi couldn’t stand by idly.

After ensuring no one was pursuing, Lu Nanzhi found a safe place at the mountain’s foot to meditate and attempted to enter a dream to contact Jiang Yuebai.

The Dream Demon, however, couldn’t sense Jiang Yuebai’s location, leaving Lu Nanzhi puzzled but convinced Jiang Yuebai would be fine.

For now, her only plan was to find other members of the Zhuge Family.

Lu Nanzhi followed the river eastward, avoiding monsters along the way and encountering other Nascent Soul Cultivators several times.

Not having found anyone from the Zhuge Family yet, Lu Nanzhi first bumped into those two Yuquan Sect Cultivators and... unfortunate to be on a collision course with two Fang Family members.

At that moment, the two Fang Family Cultivators, wielding Barbarian God Dharma, were relentlessly pursuing the two Yuquan Sect Cultivators over the river.

The ancient Barbarian God bloodline of the Fang Family granted immense strength, overpowering the two Yuquan Sect Cultivators despite their barrage of magical techniques and magic treasures, proving difficult to withstand.

Explosive booms echoed ceaselessly over the river, magical light flickered, raising a mist of water that created a massive spectacle.

Jiang Yuebai advised Lu Nanzhi to hide, not to reveal her identity before the Fang Family, to avoid their pursuit.

But since she’d already encountered them, Lu Nanzhi didn’t want to hide.

Her Sword Dao always pressed forward, slaying gods when encountered.

Regardless of the past mistakes or rights, the enmity with the Fang Family was fatal, so she followed her heart!

Like Jiang Yuebai once said, rather than making things difficult for herself, she would make it difficult for others.

Resolute in thought, Lu Nanzhi dashed forward with her sword when the two Yuquan Sect Cultivators were about to be slain!

Clang!

The sound of a sword hum echoed, and two Barbarian God illusions were forcibly pushed back.

"Who?!" The Fang Family Cultivators shouted angrily.

Crash!

The river reversed, freezing inch by inch, transforming into a Six-Sided Ice Wall surrounding the four in fierce battle.

Inside the mirror-like ice walls, six female cultivators in black wielding Ice Crystal Long Swords stood valiant.

She lifted her hand to remove the mask from her face, her sharp eyes lifted.

"Lu Family, it is I, Nanzhi!"

Lu Family’s South Branch, once because of weakness and powerlessness, she had to abandon her identity and name, but now decades of effort and growth allowed her to regain her confidence and reclaim herself.

Lu Nanzhi’s voice made the two Fang Family male cultivators tremble, for this name was known to all within the Fang Family, as it belonged to the mastermind who exterminated three generations of the Fang Family disciples in the Earth Spiritual Realm!

The two Yuquan Sect Cultivators quickly retreated, while the two Fang Family male cultivators exchanged a glance, revealing murderous intent, and charged together.

*

Throughout the Kunxi Secret Realm, battles erupted everywhere, each with its own experiences.

Moh Baichun discovered an Ancient Cultivation Cave Mansion in a mountain and gained some rewards, just to be ambushed upon emergence by combined forces of the Song and Wuh Families from the Eight Immortals River Basin.

Faced against three opponents, while alone, she was being driven to a retreat until, at a critical juncture, a female cultivator from the Lou Family came to her aid, turning the situation around.

After that, the two progressed together as a pair.

Zhuge Ziqian had good fortune, encountering a Youx Family disciple just upon entry; steady and trustworthy, the Youx Sect Cultivator willingly requested companionship, facing dangerous encounters but avoiding real peril along their journey.

Tie Wanjiang traveled alone, focusing on gathering refining materials after entering the Secret Realm, his two pieces of heavy armor paving the way securely, none dared to provoke him.

Jiang Yuebai and Shen Mingjing proceeded with cautious steps, went through several fierce battles, and after more than a day’s hurried travel, finally reached the base of Heaven-Reaching Peak.

The barren peak towered, jagged with bizarre rocks resembling malevolent ghosts, exuding a terrifying chill.

White Bone Steps spiraled upward, only wide enough for two to walk side by side, leading to the summit.

The wind howled, crows cawed, imparting a sense of desolation and wasteland.

Jiang Yuebai surveyed upward from foot of the mountain, sensing a massive Yin Qi suppressed within the mountain, feeling the peak akin to a slumbering Evil Ghost, exerting immense pressure.

Once they stepped on the White Bone Steps, the mountain would awaken.

The surrounding ghosts were mostly cleared, Shen Mingjing being no stranger to hand-to-hand combat.

Jiang Yuebai noted his genuine weakness, the Demonic Qi less than half of that of a typical Nascent Soul Cultivator, his face pale and energy inadequate after just a few moves.

"Rest for an hour before ascending the mountain."

Upon hearing Jiang Yuebai’s words, Shen Mingjing seemed relieved as if granted amnesty, too exhausted to speak, nodded, and moved aside to meditate.

Without Jiang Yuebai, Shen Mingjing truly wouldn’t have made it here alone.

The Mirage Demon Tribe excelled only at illusion techniques and concealment disguises, otherwise, whether in physique or strength, incomparable to other Demon Clan.

Masquerading as a Demon Cultivator, his usable moves and magic treasures were limited, especially when the time hadn’t come to reveal all his cards.

Jiang Yuebai arranged a Protection Array, releasing Yann Hongyu.

Obsessed love had its perks, Nann Hongyu was enamored with Shen Mingjing’s face, keeping watch over him, her eyes unblinking.

Jiang Yuebai still allocated a Divine Thought for vigilance, withdrew the small seal and two scimitars acquired from those two Nascent Soul Cultivators earlier and proceeded with sacrificial refining.

The two loose cultivators were paupers, barely anything in their Storage Magic Treasures, only those few items were decent.

Besides, Jixiang and the Mouse managed to scour through and found a few Beast Skin Fragments. Fortunately, Jixiang was smart enough not to eat them, keeping them intentionally for Jiang Yuebai.

These seemed related to the Kunxi Divine Palace map.