Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Decline of the Cultivation Realm

  "Let's just consider it a bonus!" Hong Tian said with a smile.

  Although it was her first time coming to the famous Wutai Mountain, Zuo Xiao Yao also knew that the most famous scenic spots here were temples. "This place should be called a 'Buddhist Holy Land', but isn't cultivation supposed to belong to the Taoist school?"

  "That's because you haven't paid much attention to the history on the surface of Wutai Mountain. Before those Buddhist monks started building temples and lecturing ordinary people on Buddhist scriptures, this place has always been revered as a sacred site for Taoism!"

  In the midst of laughter, Zuo Xiaoyao gradually came to know that what was known as Wutai Mountain should actually be called Jiutai Mountain. The remaining four peaks had been broken through to the True Stage over 5,000 years ago, when the cultivation world was still relatively prosperous. A great power on the verge of entering the Upper Realm had used the technique of shrinking land into inches, and also set up a high-level formation in the outer perimeter, completely hiding the four peaks that were connected by an underground medium-sized spiritual vein. Unless one was a cultivator or had someone to guide them, there would be no opportunity to enter, as it was an important part of the cultivation world.

  Even though the spiritual veins under the four platforms have been gradually depleted due to the increasing consumption without replenishment, and are in a state of gradual exhaustion, the dead camel is bigger than the horse, and there is still a large-scale spiritual gathering array set up at the beginning. The spiritual energy inside the four platforms is still several times more abundant than outside the non-Dongtian Fudi places. Even the Shennong Platform cannot be compared with it, and it still occupies a place in the current Xiu Zhen world. Therefore, the Jiutai Mountain Trading Conference, which is held every seven years, will attract a large number of Xiu Zhen practitioners to come, and even those who rarely appear, such as the Condensed Dan True People, will occasionally make a grand appearance.

  Due to the presence of the other four outer spiritual arrays, the surrounding five can be said to be sparse and barren, not as good as the ecological environment in the Shennong Rack. Lu Hongtian obviously didn't just come out of Jiutai Mountain for the first time, taking a secluded and uninhabited path forward, bringing Zuo Xiaoyao directly to the intersection of Zhongtai Cuiyan Peak and Dongtai Wanghai Peak, finally arriving at a desolate mountain cave. Accompanied by his pinching out a few simple spells, a 9-meter-high stone wall suddenly appeared in the center of the cave, with a width of 5 meters like a cliff. Then, when Lu Hongtian crushed a mysterious talisman in front of the stone wall, the stone wall suddenly melted and revealed a flowing water-like surface that was the same color as the stone rock.

  Just as Zuo Xiaoyao was shocked by this incredible scene, Luo Hongtian laughed and said, "Let's hurry in, the Condensed Wave Gate is only open for a short time. After we go in, you can be shocked all you want!"

  Upon hearing Luo Hongtian's teasing voice, Zuo Xiaoyao, who had just reacted, couldn't help but blush slightly, and smiled on her face "Alright, let's go in first!"

  All of this was completely new to her, and although Rong Hongtian had introduced her to many things in the Cultivation world before, due to limited time, he only taught her some basic common sense. As for such a mysterious array restriction, Zuo Xiaoyao had only heard him mention it, but hadn't had the chance to see it with her own eyes. Now, this scene that was even more magical, real and mystical than those fantasy scenes created by computer special effects on TV appeared right before her eyes, bringing her an unspeakable shock.

  Knowing that there is no chance to express his excitement and emotions now, he followed Hong Tian's side and directly lifted his foot into the "door" which was rippling like water waves. The next second, both of them had appeared in front of a steep stone ladder. With their field of vision suddenly broadened, what they saw before their eyes was a towering giant peak standing upright.

  Higher than the other five, what's different from the outside is that on both sides of this stone staircase, and just outside the mountain body of this giant peak, dense forests and trees are growing. The surrounding spiritual energy is quite abundant, although it can't compare to the richness of the spiritual energy in the Purple Boundary Realm. At this moment, it's already evening, and everything here, like the outside world, is bathed in the warm glow of sunset, making Zuo Xiaoyao feel as if she has entered a new world. Clearly, she knows that except for not being visible from the outside, everything here is actually the same as the outside world, and doesn't belong to another space.

  Xiao Yao stood there with a look of astonishment on her face, taking in the surroundings. Hong Tian also remained silent. For cultivators who had just arrived at this place for the first time, this was a very good mental training process. How much they could gain from it depended on their individual experiences and differed from person to person.

  But for Zuo Xiaoyao, who possessed the Purple Boundary Void, she was already accustomed to spatial transformations. As a result, the sensory shock of suddenly arriving in a new space wasn't as great as the astonishment brought by Cong Bo Men. She soon reacted and said, "Thank you so much, Brother Luo, for bringing me to this place! The path of cultivation is indeed mysterious and unparalleled. This Cultivation Realm is truly a wondrous land. Just entering the gate has given me a deep sense of realization. Cultivation can't be done by just relying on oneself's closed-door meditation. Since meeting Brother Luo, I had some awareness, but only now have I confirmed one fact - I am indeed a frog at the bottom of the well, with shallow knowledge and limited vision. I've troubled Brother Luo!"

  "Xiao Yao, don't be overly modest. You're about the same age as me, yet you've achieved such a high level of cultivation solely through your own efforts. Not only do I admire you, but many of our fellow cultivators would also feel ashamed in comparison. Since you haven't been influenced by external things and have persisted in your arduous practice, your progress will be even faster. For us cultivators, the ultimate goal is to improve our cultivation. As for experience, as long as one has a high level of cultivation, those things won't be a problem!"

  Hongtian couldn't help but sigh in admiration, although Zuo Xiaoyao didn't tell him her actual age, she did inform him of the time she spent cultivating in the Zi Yuan boundary since she started practicing, so according to Hongtian's estimation, her age was roughly the same as his.

  In order to avoid the danger of exposing the existence of the Purple Boundary Realm, which has an inverse time difference with reality, after arriving at the Divine Farmer's Platform, he used various herbs found in his spare time during cultivation, combined with some "books" in the Purple Boundary Realm. The introduction is made by reconfiguring the recognized medicinal herbs, flowers, plant roots and leaves, and tree bark through countless times, repeatedly experimenting, and finally, after nearly five years of leaving the Purple Boundary Realm, a colorless and tasteless cosmetic was formulated.

  Like cosmetics, it has a similar effect but is more pronounced. Without using the corresponding special potion to wash away, even Lu Hongtian, a foundation-building cultivator, didn't notice that her appearance was concealed at all, and she didn't have to worry about her true age and identity being exposed. This is also why Zuo Xiaoyao dared to ride with Lu Hongtian from the Shennong Platform to Mount Wutai, even though the heat of the "family reunion" two years ago had not completely dissipated.

  As she climbed up the stairs to the peak, Zuo Xiao Yao finally discovered that the top of this giant peak was also a platform. The area was even larger than the sum of the five platforms outside. On the top platform, there were inns, tea houses, and wine shops, all complete and with a neat and orderly layout. The streets were bustling with people, but at least everyone had achieved the level of Nascent Soul, and their clothing was also different from one another. Some wore ancient long robes, while others wore modern sportswear like Luo Hong Tian. There were also those who wore ordinary long shirts and pants like Zuo Xiao Yao. Overall, it seemed a bit chaotic and contradictory, yet it also showed a strange harmony.

  After hastily walking through a street of four or five thousand meters, Zuo Xiang followed Rong Hongtian into a wine tower and found that the cultivation of most of the cultivators they met along the way and around them was below the fusion stage. Those with cultivation above the middle of the fusion stage were extremely rare. It wasn't until then that Zuo Xiang confirmed that Rong Hongtian's words were indeed not exaggerated at all, and it wasn't just a superior gaze looking at the current state of the cultivation world.

  This is indeed a Xianxia world that has already declined considerably!

  PS: Thanks for the support from Dizzy Girl, striving for double updates tomorrow!