Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 261 - 196: Era of Calamity (Part 2)

Mastering the Five Elements Secret Realm, toying with Golden Core ancestors, slaughtering hundreds of Foundation Establishment masters... Each of these tales is enough to shake one's very soul.

Especially for someone like him, a former member of the Haihe Association, it is even more shocking.

"So he had hidden his true capabilities to such an extent..."

Peng Yue Xian felt incredibly conflicted.

At this moment, he somewhat regretted fleeing Da Li too early. If he had still been within the Da Li territory, there might have been a chance for him to ally with a powerhouse.

Unfortunately, it's already too late now. He has just established himself here, and returning would seem inappropriate. Besides, his lifespan is limited, and he may not be able to wait for Lord Qingxu to ascend to the Golden Core realm.

"So be it, it's fate."

Peng Yue Xian sighed deeply, gradually extinguishing his thoughts of returning to Da Li.

Each person has their own fate, and at his age, he was already at the stage of accepting and resigning to his destiny.

.....

Three months after the closure of the Secret Realm.

In the core area's cave dwelling, within the cultivation quiet chamber.

"Hoo..."

Zhang Yao's breathing was long and steady, his presence becoming faint, maintaining an unperturbed mental realm.

In his sea of consciousness: strands of soul thought aura constantly surged, constructing various spirit patterns and assembling different array veins, gradually interlocking and intertwining with each other.

The entire sea of consciousness was already filled with spirit pattern array veins, and even in the depths of the divine soul, traces of the array were imprinted, like a deep brand.

The Array of Ten Thousand Souls' Thoughts was the most complex array Zhang Yao had ever constructed.

For a whole three months, he dared not slack off, starting from scratch to accumulate, finally nearing the completion of constructing the grand array.

It was like filling the divine soul with a complete skeleton, donning it with heavy combat armor, greatly enhancing the power of both the divine soul and divine thought, receiving comprehensive empowerment.

Not only that:

The Array of Ten Thousand Souls' Thoughts provided strong protection against all effects related to the divine soul and psyche, such as confusion, distortion, pollution, constraint, suppression, etc.

To make a simple comparison:

Without the protection of the Array of Ten Thousand Souls' Thoughts, Zhang Yao faced the possibility of having his divine soul and psyche influenced when confronting a Golden Core ancestor extremely skilled in divine techniques and daoist skills.

But with the array, this possibility was non-existent.

Even if stronger influences were exerted on the divine soul, reaching an irresistible level, the array would break and collapse first.

If it ever came to such an extreme situation, Zhang Yao would rather choose self-termination and rebirth with the Earth Divine Embryo than allow his divine soul and psyche to be influenced or even manipulated.

"Buzz!"

As the final stroke was completed, a brilliant light burst forth within Zhang Yao's sea of consciousness.

Countless spirit pattern array veins radiated bright light, then immediately concealed themselves. Zhang Yao felt the power of his divine soul and divine thought expand and condense many times over in an instant.

At this very moment, if he were to clash divine soul dao skills with Yu Wen Tai, under the blessing of the Heavenly Defect Secret Technique, he felt he could at least break even.

"It's finally complete..."

Zhang Yao opened his eyes, a hint of sentiment in his expression.

The experiences he had in Qingyunfang City left a psychological shadow that lingered for many years, even leading him to develop such unorthodox strategies as the cognitive test dossier.

He feared neither injury nor death, but the possibility of his psyche being manipulated always filled him with dread, like a heavy stone pressing on his heart.

Until today:

The stone has been moved, the gloom has dispersed, and finally, he sees a clear sky.

"A Longevity Seeker should be carefree, unrestrained."

"After entering the cultivation realm for so many years, it's only today that I've finally tasted a bit of true freedom and ease once again..."

Zhang Yao felt in high spirits, leisurely standing up, preparing to stroll and scavenge through the outer small world.

After thoroughly scavenging the hundreds and thousands of treasures in the small world:

He would embark on a long-term secluded cultivation life, aiming for an early ascension to Foundation Establishment Perfection, using spiritual objects and refining spirit pills to break into the Golden Core realm.

.....

Time flies like an arrow, the months as swift as a shuttle.

The arrival of the era of calamities swept through like an unstoppable tide, enveloping everyone in the Da Li cultivation realm.

The annihilation of the Secret Realm exploration team resulted in a near collapse of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in Da Li, the consequences of which cannot be easily articulated.

The most direct and earliest impact was on groups closely associated with Foundation Establishment cultivators:

Each Foundation Establishment cultivator entering the Secret Realm was not alone, they had family, friends, disciples, and clan juniors...

Every Foundation Establishment master and those around him occupied a large share of interests in the Da Li cultivation realm, entangled in a complex web of relationships, relying on a grand order.

But after the calamity, with the collective demise of the Foundation Establishment masters, all of this suddenly vanished.

The rupture of interest chains and relationship networks brought almost immediate backlash and counterattacks, which pulled these people down while also leading to a collapse of the order in the cultivation realm.

The direct adverse effect of the collapse of order was a sharp increase in incidents such as theft, interception, treasure plundering, and forced seizure of cultivation furnaces, with countless indirect consequences, plunging the entire Dali into chaos, with no one able to restrain it.

And all these chain reactions were just the beginning—

The fragmentation of Foundation Establishment masters led to a sharp rise in the status of each surviving Foundation Establishment master in the Da Li cultivation realm.

The three major Golden Core influences, once so dominant, had no choice but to accept these changes.

The support of the Golden Core ancestor and a few Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators clearly couldn't uphold a Golden Core level giant without middle-level support, and even Golden Core ancestors had to make concessions in the face of solid facts.

Under such an influence:

The Lingyang Sect, Shanhe Sect, and Dugu Family had to increase the training of Qi Refining disciples, redirecting unprecedented rich resources, and also had to conduct slight contractions in their influence.

Meanwhile, their attitude towards external Foundation Establishment cultivators became extremely cordial, with the threshold for recruitment set very low, yet offering ever-increasing terms.

This move, while further elevating the status of Foundation Establishment masters, also indirectly led to a massive outflow of precious, previously regulated special resources, stimulating the prosperity of the entire cultivation realm.

As one of the four major nations, the calamity and changes within Da Li's borders could not avoid affecting the whole body.

Looking across the Southwest Land:

In just a few years, at least dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators flocked in like a swarm from various small countries seeking further opportunities in the fertile ground of Da Li.

Their former enemies and rivals were mostly gone, entangled relationships cleared, and the Golden Core Sects offered an olive branch; there was no better era than this.

Some Foundation Establishment cultivators from small countries couldn't resist the temptation, taking their families to Da Li, easily establishing themselves and ushering in a new life.

The calamity in Da Li was a heaven-sent opportunity for many Foundation Establishment cultivators in small countries.

Old interest hierarchies fell, new interest networks quickly formed, the alternation of new and old orders brought great chaos, but also vast opportunities.

In the first few years after the calamity, the Da Li cultivation realm saw a new surge, an abnormal prosperity, with many sects and noble families, even a new hegemon of a region emerging.

Many new generation Foundation Establishment cultivators emerged in this backdrop, filling the gaps left by the previous generation of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Ten years, twenty years, thirty years... time swiftly passed by.

In the blink of an eye, it has been over forty years since that calamity.

After all these years, a new structure and order have formed in Da Li, with a new batch of Foundation Establishment cultivators having grown up, and the Celestial Treasure Tower restored to its former prosperity.

Even the rotation of the triad of Golden Core ancestors guarding the Secret Realm Gate has taken place for over twenty years.

Forty years on today:

The once dreaded and revered 'Southwest God of Slaughter' and 'Prison Gate Butcher' have gradually turned into figures of legend.

But only those survivors of the calamity and the Foundation Establishment masters in the three major Golden Core influences know—the terrifying butcher in the Secret Realm will return to the Da Li cultivation realm one day.

When he breaks through the Secret Realm Gate, that day could very well be when Da Li is turned upside down.