Chapter One, A Dream of a Hundred Years

Those with reserves of spirit stones should immediately enter seclusion, and those with spirit stone mines should promptly close their doors

When Jiang Mu came to visit, Ji Yao accepted them. However, that evening, Jiang Mu, caught off guard, fell victim to the poison of the hidden fragrance. When he awoke again, not only had he lost all his magical power and his primordial yang body been destroyed, but even the remaining treasured possessions of his sect and some cultivation resources, including a small amount of spirit stones, had vanished without a trace

Zhi Jiyao happily descended the mountain, but ten years later, the surge of spiritual energy erupted, and the gates of the Floating Cloud Sect were destroyed. Jiang Mu, along with five disciples, wandered the world, enduring numerous hardships and experiencing several assassination attempts. Along the way, three disciples unfortunately lost their lives, and one was severely injured

While the cultivators may be drenched in blood, the countless ordinary people who are exploited and threatened suffer even greater casualties

In that nightmare, I naturally agreed without a second thought, paying Ji Yao a total of 3,000 spirit stones, 1,000 spirit jade, and a large amount of other resources, all for the establishment of some Floating Cloud Courtyard

Ji Yao's laughter rang out, piercing through all of Jiang Mu's illusions like the evening drum and morning bell

But is this nightmare really just a nightmare

However, such a state lasts only for a brief period, and the struggle resumes, all for the sake of the spirit stones

Thus, in the fiftieth year following the outbreak of the spiritual energy tide, the original framework of the entire cultivation world had essentially collapsed, fully entering the era of the end of the Dharma

Before the tide of spiritual energy, do not provoke trouble, do not create disputes, engage in quiet cultivation, and enter and exit the world in tranquility. Every ten years, a new generation of disciples is accepted, and once the disciples have established their foundation, they may leave the mountain.

Perhaps the only fortunate event is that merely half a month has passed, and the family of Ji Yao, that wretched woman, along with her dual cultivation partner, has been annihilated amidst the chaos and slaughter, turning the Floating Cloud Courtyard into a desolate ruin

Those who are dead are dead, those who have scattered have scattered, those who are in hiding remain in hiding, those who return home to farm, those who work as laborers at the docks, those who become eunuchs, or those who go to the brothels to perform, those who open martial arts schools, those who run escort agencies, those who establish medical clinics, those who become mountain bandits, and so on

Jiang Mu trembled as he reached out to touch his complete arms and cheeks, feeling the cultivation of his Golden Core realm

In the face of harsh reality, they faltered

In such circumstances, Jiang Mu brought them to Wugong County, hoping to find Ji Yao. Not to seek revenge, but at the very least to have a place to settle down.

One day, the spiritual stones will be completely depleted. What will happen then? We can only wait for all to be torn to pieces by the enraged mortals

This has almost become one of Jiang Mu's greatest regrets and pains in the latter half of his life

Senior Brother Zhangmen, I miss you so much

The several super sects formed marital alliances with the royal family, thus becoming prominent families, relying on the remaining spiritual stone resources to achieve a balance with the mortal royal family

Daylight broke, and Jiang Mu was startled awake, momentarily unable to distinguish between reality and dream.

If it were not for that sudden surge of spiritual energy, everything would have continued as it was

If he remembers correctly, ten years later, the world will undergo tremendous changes, with the surge of spiritual energy tides. Overnight, the spiritual energy will dissipate, and all cultivators will be like fish that have lost their water, struggling in vain.

Senior Brother Zhangmen, I am back

Three months later, when the protective mountain formation came to a halt again due to a lack of spirit stones, it was soon breached by thousands of mortals hired by the neighboring Iron Mountain Sect, armed with swords and bows. Using the mortals as cover, the cultivators struck from the shadows.

In the midst of the chaos, Jiang Mu was only able to escape with five of his disciples, while the remaining twenty-seven disciples met with slaughter

Even the initially restrained mid-level cultivators and high-level cultivators were ultimately forced to become involved

Initially, mortals dared to feel anger but not to voice it. However, after more than a decade, as mortals gradually uncovered the hollow essence of cultivators, discovered the truth behind the disappearance of spiritual energy, and observed the regression of all things in the world, even the formidable bodies of body-refining cultivators became indistinguishable from those of mortals due to the lack of spiritual energy nourishment. Even powerful demon beasts regressed into ordinary wild animals, spiritual herbs devolved into weeds, and even the enigmatic practitioners of the demonic path could only engage in trivial antics.

Jiang Mu, filled with rage, intended to confront Ji Yao for an explanation, but was expelled from the Floating Cloud Courtyard, wandering the streets with two disciples

Thirty years later, when the first dynasty completely dominated by mortals is established, cultivators have become like street rats, universally despised and hunted down by all

However, he did not even have the opportunity to take revenge, as the Iron Mountain Sect existed for only one day longer than the Floating Cloud Sect before being exterminated by their neighbor, the Ming Mountain Sect, using the same method

He is filled with rage, yet due to the depletion of his magical powers, he has fallen to the status of a mortal and is left with no recourse

After the spiritual energy between heaven and earth completely dissipated, the protective mountain formation of the Floating Cloud Sect came to a halt. Although the protective mountain formation requires spirit stones to initiate and maintain, under normal circumstances, once activated, it would automatically draw upon the spiritual energy from the surroundings to operate

Jiang Mu felt an inexplicable pang of pain in his heart. He took a deep breath and reflected on what he had seen and heard in his nightmare. His junior sister had been out in the world for more than ten years. This time she returned, and as her elder brother, he would treat her well with food and drink and hospitality.

The Floating Cloud Sect is neither the top tier nor the first-rate in the realm of immortality; it can only be considered one of the local powers within the Qin Ge Prefecture

Because even if they still have the ability to destroy one mortal dynasty, how could they possibly destroy two or three? Or to say, to kill all mortals?

Several super sects that have resources at home, which initially sealed their mountains and doors, had no choice but to open their gates, cautiously engaging with the mortal dynasties, even going so far as to marry off the outstanding young women and once peerless fairies of their sects to the imperial palace

The mountain wind is biting outside, while a single light flickers like a bean inside

As the sect leader, Jiang Mu currently possesses only the initial stage of the Golden Core realm. In fact, among the ancestors of the sect throughout the generations, the highest cultivation level achieved was merely that of the Transformation Stage. This Transformation Stage ancestor established the sect on Floating Cloud Mountain, constructed the protective mountain array, and left behind the sect's lineage. Over the course of several thousand years, the situation has remained neither particularly good nor particularly bad

The total reserve of spirit stones in the sect was only sufficient to last for three months

A delicate voice came through, causing Jiang Mu to feel a moment of daze again; the owner of this voice was his junior apprentice sister, Ji Yao

Upon careful calculation, Jiang Mu's expression changed dramatically, for he had already discerned what year it was this evening

The most important thing is that mortals cannot see it, and enemies cannot conquer it

Even the demonic cultivators who brew Blood Spirit Pills using human blood have been wanted across the world due to their limited effectiveness

The brutal flames of war have persisted for over a decade, resulting in the fall of at least 50 to 60 percent of the cultivators in the cultivation world. Nearly 80 percent of the cultivation sects have vanished without a trace, either being exterminated, fleeing to live as mortals, or decisively relocating to more distant lands to escape the turmoil.

Hehe

With a wave of the hand, the door to the quiet room in the void opened, revealing a charming young woman standing outside. She appeared very youthful and exceptionally beautiful, yet the subtle hint of flirtation at the corners of her eyes and brows was strikingly conspicuous

They rebelled, in the name of revenge, turning against the cultivators. Many once unattainable sects and great factions of the immortal world had their mountain gates and celestial realms occupied by mortals. Furthermore, numerous small and medium-sized sects, which had committed many atrocities over a decade ago, are now being hunted down and wanted.

Fifty years later, when it was determined that spiritual energy could no longer be revived, the Great Qin Dynasty even began to consolidate its national fortune

Jiang Mu's thoughts drifted back, filled with a hundred kinds of bitterness and a thousand kinds of sorrow. Scenes from the past unfolded in his heart, and as he recalled the hardships he had endured over the years, he could not help but shed tears in this moment

Because he has already heard the same sentence in his previous life

Late at night

Unfortunately, at that time, Jiang Mu himself, due to his low cultivation and limited experience, had become foolish in his pursuit of immortality. Witnessing the dissipation of spiritual energy and the cessation of the protective mountain formation, he hastily took out all the spirit stones reserved by the sect to maintain the protective mountain formation

The spirit stone mine has a production limit. Without the support of the natural spiritual energy, a substantial amount of spirit stones is required each year just to maintain the activation of the protective mountain formation

Thus, he has truly returned to ten years ago, during the outbreak of the spiritual energy tide.

In those years, when his master was still alive, he was very fond of Ji Yao. Both of his senior brothers, including Jiang Mu himself, tried their best to pamper this junior sister. While they did not always fulfill her every request, they cared for her sincerely. Although there were certain feelings that all men understand involved, however

So carefree

Oh oh oh

Jiang Mu sat pale-faced on the mat, his gaze uncertain as he looked around at everything, ultimately landing on a pool of blood not far away. This was the result of being awakened from his meditative practice by a nightmare, which caused his spiritual energy to go awry, damaging his meridians and nearly jeopardizing his foundation.

Between heaven and earth, it seems that overnight everything has become auspicious and favorable. No one dares to act recklessly, nor does anyone dare to waste the magical power stored within themselves, let alone consume the spirit stones in their possession

However, this junior apprentice returned not out of longing for the sect, but rather to establish a Floating Cloud Villa in Wugong County, three thousand miles away, specifically for the purpose of training junior disciples

If the protective mountain formation is closed, it will be discovered by the mortal army that harbors extreme hatred towards cultivators. This army, consisting of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, will attack day and night. Even if all these soldiers are killed, this hatred will never be reconciled.

Recalling the grievances that made him grit his teeth in various nightmares, Jiang Mu quickly calmed himself down, glanced at the pool of blood on the ground, and did not take any action to deal with it

Yet the body, stiffened by the torment of illness, the excruciating pain arising from the disease that has penetrated deep into the lungs, and the despair brought about by being torn apart by wild dogs, is so vividly real, etched in memory, and painfully deep to the bone

However, everything has changed

Little did one expect that Ji Yao had already formed a dual cultivation partnership with a disciple from another super sect. The other party is also considered a prominent family in the local area, and with the support of the Floating Cloud Courtyard, they have not encountered significant setbacks for the time being

The rooster crows, and the world awakens to a new day

This is certainly not as simple as a nightmare

Several top sects that had surrendered were summoned by the court and became its henchmen and lackeys

After a long while, light footsteps could be heard coming from outside the door

With the protection of the mountain formation, the mountain gate can be concealed, ensuring that the spiritual energy within the mountain gate is abundant. This allows for the normal growth of various spiritual herbs, plants, and extraordinary creatures, which is fundamental for maintaining the cultivation and advancement of numerous cultivators.

Initially, it was merely a competition for the spirit stones in the market, which then evolved into a massacre among the lower-tier loose cultivators. Subsequently, it transformed into mutual assassinations between small sects and factions. Eventually, it escalated to a situation where one party incited and manipulated mortal warriors and armies to launch suicidal attacks against a particular cultivator or sect, solely to deplete the opponent's magical power

A few days later, the severely injured disciple passed away, leaving only the last disciple to rely on him for companionship.