SFS Chapter 420 Spirit Realm
Chapter 420 Spirit Realm
Opening his eyes, Shen Xu found himself surrounded by thick fog, as if chaos was surging, and everything looked very hazy and unclear.
Shen Xu couldn't help but look at his body and found that his body was not much different from the outside world, even his clothes were exactly the same. Wasn't it said that only the soul could enter?
Thinking of this, he pinched his arm and felt a slight pain. Recalling the golden-red portal he had passed through, Shen Xu suspected that he might have entered here in his true form.
As his gaze swept across the surrounding void and chaos, he couldn't help but wonder, "Could this be the Feather Clan's Holy Temple? Why is there nothing here?"
And there was no one else around except him. Where did Qi Ling Bai He and Xiao Ru go?
He channeled his vital energy into his eyes, and his pupils gradually turned golden-red. His gaze swept across the surrounding chaos and mist once more, and this time he saw something different.
What appeared in Qi Ling's eyes was a vast and empty ruin. Everything looked extremely dilapidated, with broken tiles, collapsed palaces, and black scorched earth everywhere. A terrifying black mist shrouded the broken buildings, condensing and refusing to dissipate.
In the distance, the majestic mountain range seemed to have been cut in half, with thick black mist shrouding the smooth cut, looking evil and eerie. Just a glance at it made him feel breathless.
Shen Xu stepped on the rubble, making a "crunching" sound. His gaze swept over the surrounding ruined buildings again, and his doubts deepened.
"Where exactly is this place? Wasn't it supposed to be the Feather Clan's Holy Temple? This place doesn't seem to have anything to do with the word 'holy' at all!"
As he ventured deeper, he encountered more and more dilapidated palaces, and the vital energy grew increasingly dense. The palace complex, densely packed, had all collapsed into ruins, exuding an aura of desolation and antiquity.
But Shen Xu could still imagine the grandeur of this place in its heyday through the dilapidated scene before him.
Suddenly, Shen Xu felt a sharp pain in his forehead. He reached out and touched the area in front of him, only to find an invisible barrier that isolated more dilapidated buildings and the majestic mountains in the distance.
"Do you know where this is? The acknowledged one of the Qiling Clan." At this moment, a black figure emerged from the black mist beside him, its specific appearance unclear, seemingly just a human-shaped shadow.
"This junior is unaware of the matter and hopes that the senior can enlighten me," Shen Xu replied respectfully.
This is the 'Spirit Realm'.
"Spirit Realm? Shouldn't it be the Feather Clan's Holy Temple?" Although filled with doubts, he still waited quietly for the shadowy figure to continue.
“You should have been guided to the Feather Clan’s temple, but I stopped you.”
"Hmm?" No wonder he was all alone.
"May I ask why?"
After he asked the question, the shadowy figure turned to look at him. Although it had no eyes, Shen Xu was certain that the shadowy figure was looking at him. A chilling feeling touched every inch of his skin, making him shiver involuntarily.
"To survive 'it's' attack, I think you should be a bit smarter." The shadowy figure walked towards the invisible barrier and then passed through it without any hindrance.
Seeing this, Shen Xu gritted his teeth and chose to follow the black shadow. He knew that his life was now entirely in the shadow's hands.
Upon reaching the barrier, Shen Xu reached out and touched it, only to find nothing there, as if the barrier that had just existed was merely his illusion.
But the dark figure was about to disappear from his sight, and without hesitation, he immediately followed.
As soon as he stepped out of the barrier, the scene before him suddenly began to blur and change rapidly, as if time had reversed. The collapsed palaces and halls began to gradually return to their original state, stretching out in a magnificent and imposing manner.
The palace was bright and resplendent, like a celestial palace, where goddesses in white robes fluttered and immortals drank and made merry.
The distant mountain range also became complete, with countless palaces sitting on it. The surrounding mountains were filled with auspicious colors, purple mist rising, cranes flying, and mythical beasts galloping, as if the jade palaces and immortal mountains of mythology had descended to the mortal world.
Amidst towering peaks and ethereal mists, pavilions and palaces appeared and disappeared in the depths of the immortal mountains. Suddenly, he spotted a stunningly beautiful figure standing atop a distant immortal mountain, dressed in white, pure as snow, her robes fluttering in the wind, seemingly riding the wind like a fairy about to depart on a celestial journey.
Shen Xu suddenly felt that the woman in front of him seemed somewhat familiar, and he couldn't help but want to get closer. However, he found that he couldn't control his body at all and could only look at the woman standing on the top of the immortal mountain. At this moment, the woman seemed to have noticed him as well and turned her head to look in his direction.
Unfortunately, the distance was too great, and even with his Spirit Eyes activated, he couldn't see the woman's face clearly, which made him feel a little regretful. He really wanted to see if there were any women in the world more beautiful than the witch and Li Xiaoyi.
Just as Shen Xu was wondering what the shadowy figure's purpose was in showing him all this, he saw a black box appear out of thin air above the thousands of palaces. Its pure, ancient color immediately reminded Shen Xu of the three boxes he had obtained.
The moment the box appeared, it covered the entire sky of this space, blotting out the sun. The countless Daoist runes acted as chains of order, sealing off all the surrounding space.
With a creak, the black box revealed a crack, from which thick black mist immediately spread out, obliterating everything it touched.
It seemed to contain a universe that could swallow the sun and moon, and then it turned into a black hole, bursting with violent fluctuations, devouring everything around it. The surrounding space was distorted and shattered because of it, and then turned into layers of gray mist that were swallowed into the box.
Countless palaces shattered, and countless beings within them screamed in despair. Goddesses' white robes were stained with blood, and immortals bled in the void. Countless dazzling divine lights struck the box in the sky, which was still filled with black mist, but they could not stop the box from devouring everything around it.
At this moment, the woman in white at the mountain peak summoned a divine sword that scattered light across the sky, transforming it into a sharp rainbow that slashed at the black box in the sky. The numerous chains of divine order shattered under this sword strike, transforming back into countless Dao runes that dissipated into the world.
The dazzling light that fell along the way sprinkled onto the black mist, causing the mist to dissipate and revealing the dark and ancient box hidden within.
As the black mist dissipated, under the infinite light of the divine sword, the entire space gradually became shrouded in mist and radiant with color. Even the black box in the sky could not compete with the divine sword, and its devouring power gradually weakened. The black mist that overflowed from it was almost nowhere to hide under the light.
Although the woman in white seemed to have the upper hand, Shen Xu knew she must have lost; otherwise, given the momentum, there shouldn't be any black mist left here.
Sure enough, just as the Divine Sword was about to press its advantage and completely force the Black Box back into this space, a blood-red ribbon suddenly extended from the void and, taking advantage of the time when the Divine Sword and the Black Box were fighting, silently wrapped itself around the Divine Sword little by little.
The entire space was instantly filled with a brilliant crimson light, completely obscuring the radiance of the divine sword.
Filthy black blood, exuding an aura of endless evil, seeped from the crimson ribbon and stained the divine sword. The sword's radiance gradually dimmed under the contamination of the black blood.
The black mist once again emanated from the black box, enveloping the entire space. Then, it transformed into a pitch-black hole and began to devour everything within the space. Numerous shattered palaces and cultivators sealed by the chains of order transformed into thick gray mist and surged into the black box.
Upon seeing this, the white-clad woman radiated divine light, as if she were ablaze. The laws of the Great Dao transformed into layers of radiant light that enveloped her, echoing the divine sword tightly bound by the crimson ribbon.
At this moment, she and the divine sword transformed into the same color, as if becoming the only one in the world, radiant and eternal.
The divine sword instantly unleashed a dazzling light once more, its brilliance surpassing even the crimson ribbon. Its supreme divine might surged forth like a mighty river flowing into the sea, roaring and surging, like a meteor falling from the sky. Terrifying shockwaves erupted instantly, causing the heavens to tremble and the earth to shake, as if countless stars had fallen, filling the sky with dazzling light.
"thorn"
With a deafening sound of tearing cloth echoing through the vast天地 (heaven and earth), a huge crack was cleaved in the blood-red ribbon by the sharpness of the divine sword.
As the crack appeared, the crimson ribbon seemed to be startled by something. In an instant, it broke free from the divine sword, then transformed into a streak of blood light, shattered numerous chains of divine order, and disappeared into the world.
The black box seemed to have not anticipated the escape of the crimson streak. Caught off guard, it was cleaved to the ground by the divine sword. With a deafening roar, the mountain range was also cut in half by the sword, and the black box was smashed deep into the mountain below.
The divine sword's cry resounded everywhere. Under this sound, the void seemed to be crumpled like a tattered cloth, the earth trembled violently, countless palaces collapsed, and the fragments flying into the sky turned to dust under the intertwining of the two sounds.
Even under such an attack, the black box remained intact and slowly rose into the air from the foot of the mountain below, where it once again confronted the divine sword.
However, the black box is now half-open! Thick black mist surges out from it, only to be dissolved by the radiance of the divine sword.
Just then, a black hole opened in the void behind the black box, and a huge black hand reached out from it. The terrifying aura made Shen Xu feel extremely uneasy, even though it was just a phantom.
A massive black hand grasped the black box, and endless laws of the Great Dao poured out from it, transforming into divine chains entwined with Great Dao runes that wrapped around the black box before finally pulling it back into the black hole.
As the black hole in the void disappeared, the dazzling divine sword in the sky gradually dimmed and flew back into the white-clad woman's hand.
Looking at the surrounding chaos and ruin, the woman in white let out a sigh that seemed to transcend billions of years. The sigh reached Shen Xu's ears, and he was immediately filled with a sense of sorrow.
The figure of the woman in white gradually became illusory, eventually transforming into a ray of light and merging into the divine sword. Shen Xu's vision returned to a state of ruin, and he realized that he had not stepped out of the barrier in front of him.
Why did you make me see those things?
"To make you understand the danger that Soul Devourers pose to the Spirit Realm."
"Then why not just kill me?" Shen Xu looked at the shadowy figure with a deep gaze.
“I don’t recall ever saying you were a Soul Eater.”
Upon hearing the shadowy figure's words, Shen Xu's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked, "You mean I'm not a Soul Devourer?"
"It is and it is not; in a single thought, one can be divided into god and demon."
"I don't understand!"
"You'll understand later. I brought you here so you could sign this contract." The shadowy figure waved his hand casually, and a piece of paper radiating golden light appeared out of thin air, then slowly floated beside him.
Several lines of golden Taoist script were written on it, each character condensing a unique Taoist charm, seemingly possessing some mysterious power that captivated the soul.
Although there were some aspects of the contract that Lord Wen had not taught him, he was still able to understand their meaning and knew how to sign the contract.
The general meaning of the Golden Contract is that he will help the Spirit Realm cleanse the poison created by the Soul Devourers who have smuggled themselves into the Spirit Realm, and in return, the Spirit Realm will grant him a legitimate identity to enter the Spirit Realm.
However, the prerequisite is that he must not devour spirits in the safe areas of the Spirit Realm; otherwise, he will be executed on the spot by the administrators of the Spirit Realm.
"Why me?" Shen Xu asked, frowning. He knew he had no right to refuse.
"It wasn't me who chose you, but you who chose yourself," the shadowy figure replied calmly.
Hearing this, Shen Xu was even more confused. "What do you mean I chose myself?"
But this time the shadowy figure did not answer his question.
"What is the Devourer's Poison?" Seeing that the shadowy figure was unwilling to answer, he stopped pressing the question and chose to ask another one.
"The black mist you see is what they are. They are constantly consuming the matter of the Spirit Realm and even invading its basic structure. We cannot touch them or deal with them, so we chose you to deal with the poison in our place."
"What should I do with them?"
"It's simple, just use your talent to devour them."
Shen Xu couldn't help but take a deep breath. Wasn't this just sending him to his death? He must have thought he was living too long to actively use his soul to come into contact with this kind of thing.
"Don't worry, you're still too weak. You haven't even awakened your talent yet. I won't send you to your death."
Those poisons are deadly to other creatures, but harmless to you. Once you grow to a certain level, these poisons may even be of use to you.
"Why should I agree to your request? What exactly is the Spirit Realm?" Although he knew he had no right to refuse, the shadowy figure clearly needed his help, and he planned to take the opportunity to get more benefits.
"The Spirit Realm is a spiritual world built by the divine consciousness of many ancient sages, and only sages are qualified to enter it."
In addition, the temples of each race are located in the Spirit Realm. Besides storing their heritage, they also serve to guide the younger generation of each race into the Spirit Realm, provided that they have awakened their divine consciousness.
Finally, Soul Devourers are forbidden from entering the Spirit Realm. If you don't intend to sign a contract, I will have to send you back. You only have this one chance. The shadowy figure said indifferently.
After hearing the shadowy figure's words, Shen Xu was stunned. He couldn't connect the words "awakened consciousness" and "young generation" at all.
Shen Xu suddenly realized that with the existence of the Spirit Realm, the connections throughout the void might be even closer than he had imagined.
However, since the temples of each race are all welcoming the younger generation of their respective races into the Spirit Realm, it means that the Spirit Realm must be very important, and Xiao Ruo and Qi Ling Bai He both need his presence...
But the contract with the shadowy figure, and the terrifying, inexplicable black mist before him...
"I'm not sure if you're lying to me. After all, it's your contract. If you've tampered with it, I wouldn't be able to find out." Shen Xu looked at the shadowy figure with a serious expression.
But the shadowy figure did not respond; it simply stood silently to the side, waiting for his decision.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Xu placed his palm on the golden contract in front of him.
Although the contract forbids him from devouring spirits in the Spirit Realm, he believes that the Spirit Realm must be a treasure trove for spirit devourers, otherwise no spirit devourer would want to sneak in, and he will have a legal identity to enter the Spirit Realm.
As a golden ripple swept across his body through his palm, Shen Xu suddenly felt an inexplicable power in the void lock onto him and the contract. As the power dissipated, his name gradually appeared on the golden contract.
"It seems you made the right decision." The shadowy figure reached out and the golden contract flew into its hand, then transformed into a golden light and merged into its body.
"can I go now?"
"I will come looking for you, of course, when you have enough strength. Also, keep this safe." A piece of irregular crystal radiating brilliant light appeared in the shadowy figure's hand.
"what is this?"
"Consider this a special crystal of divine consciousness as a gift from me."
"You are not a true member of the Feather Clan. After this, you will no longer be able to enter the Spirit Realm through the Feather Clan Temple, and the Human Clan Temple will not guide you due to the rules of the Spirit Realm."
Through this essence of divine consciousness, you can enter the Spirit Realm from the real world without going through the Holy Temple. To be honest, you've helped me find a loophole in the rules of the Spirit Realm.
Besides these, this divine crystal has many other wonderful uses; explore them as you go!
The shadowy figure's voice gradually faded into the distance, and its body became increasingly ethereal. The ruins surrounding Shen Xu also distorted as the shadowy figure gradually disappeared, eventually turning into a thick mass of oil paint that frantically burrowed into his soul.