For those who entered the Ancient Longevity World for the first time, they could sense a desolate and ancient aura sweeping them, making them feel as if this world was barren and primitive.
Looking at the surroundings, there were only barren lands, which revealed this world to be dilapidated and on a decline.
However, with a deeper sensing, one could feel that this world contained boundless life opportunity amidst the barrenness.
The spiritual energy in this world prospered amidst the barrenness and dilapidation. It existed with special yet miraculous concepts that intersected with one another.
"The Ancient Longevity World lives up to its name." Zhu Yi was able to tell the magic of this place as he stepped foot into the world. "Normally speaking, Middle Worlds were inferior to the Greater Worlds. They declined much faster than the Divine Lands or the Barren Expanses."
"Especially if there are many cultivators who lived inside it. Under a condition where life prospered inside it, a Middle World would also operate like a life on its own, possessing its own longevity. It will grow older and decline as it aged. When its limit is reached, the spiritual energy of this Middle World will dissipate slowly. Very soon, it will become a normal plot of land."
"An ordinary person can leave within, while flora and fauna could also exist. But for cultivators, it's no longer suitable for cultivation. Different types of treasures will be difficult to form too."
Li Yuanfang looked at the world before him. After a while, he nodded his head, "This is indeed the case. But normally speaking, the rate at which spiritual energy of Middle World dissipates is also quite slow. But this Ancient Longevity World has existed for quite some time already."
"The descendants of the Emperor Gu lineage have been residing here for a long time. Since the Antiquity Age, a lot of time had passed. But the movement of spiritual energy in this Ancient Longevity World seems to be as fresh as ever. Time did not seem to bear down on its purity, which is very rare to see."
"I believe that it has something to do with the miraculous transformation of spiritual energy that we are sensing and the concepts of transformation of this barrenness and anabiosis in front of us." Li Yuanfang's gaze brightened and he said, "This is the result of a formation taking effect…"
Li Yuanfang looked at Xiao Yan and Xiao Yan smiled while nodding his head, "For the Emperor Gu lineage to avoid the attention of the external world, they resorted to reducing their interaction with the outside world. Constant changes of their location was not a plausible idea. Thus, from the very start, Zhener's ancestors set up the Imperial City in this world. After that, with the Imperial City as the center, they set up the Antarctica Longevity Grand Formation. The changes that we are sensing now is the result of the expansion of the powers of the formation."
"Over the course of history, the Gu Family kept on strengthening the formation. Right now, this formation is able to influence every inch of this world."
Yang Qing scanned the surroundings, "In the past, I heard that you mentioned before that there are many herbs in this world that have already been extinct in the Greater World. With the influence of the Antarctica Longevity Grand Formation, I believe that they will prosper in their growth."
"Come to think about it, the huge leaps that we have made in the aspect of pill cultivation for the human race happened during the times when Emperor Xia and Emperor Gu held the thrones. But the both of them were not very friendly with each other, and they were also separated by the Emperor of the Dead. Otherwise, there would have been even greater progress in the pill cultivation aspect of the human race."
After hearing Yang Qing's words, Xiao Yan laughed, "Fifth Junior, you are just like how I was last time. As words get passed down, a lot of truths get buried in history. Those who don't understand the insider information will often make judgmental errors."
"How do you say?" Yang Qing was stunned. Xiao Yan laughed and explained, "Regarding Emperor Xia and Emperor Gu, I once mentioned them in a random conversation with Zhener. After she told me some stuff, I finally knew what the situation was roughly."
"When Emperor Xia was still in position, Emperor Gu had only started cultivating. Both parties did conflict indeed, but it was not a clash between Emperor Xia and Emperor Gu. Rather, the people of Emperor Xia oppressed the people under Emperor Gu."
Xiao Yan continued explaining, "Emperor Xia is a wise emperor and he expended a lot of effort to improve pill cultivation. He even cultivated the Crucible of the Divine Lands and liked to help cultivators with potential and talent to mature. Many of the powerful cultivators managed to receive help from him as they were working their way up."
"During that era, Wen Chiyang handled the external forces, as he challenged the Barren Expanses on his own. Whereas Emperor Xia handled the internal matters, allowing the human cultivation race to build up its prowess."
"As Emperor Xia was generous towards other cultivators, he was even more so towards his own people. He even covered up for them. During that period of time, many pretentious characters appeared and got into conflicts with other groups of people. On many occasions, Emperor Xia had to clean up after them."
As Xiao Yan said, he shook his head, "It's logical to be generous to one's own people. Regardless whether it's our sect, the Great Void Sect, Mount Shu, Great Zhou, Great Qin or other powers, we will all act in the same way."
"But we will never skim on the guidance and lessons that we impart to our disciples. But the problem with Emperor Xia is that he condones the wrongdoings of his people and he lacks the impetus to change them, thus allowing them to turn into wayward individuals."
"For the horrible things that his people did, they would have been stripped off their cultivation if they were in our sect. They may even be banished from out sect."
"A lot of people tolerated them on account of Emperor Xia. But the tension still remained."
As he said till here, Xiao Yan paused for a moment, "Although this tension towards a human emperor governing the masses only became a conflict during the Emperor of the Dead era, the seed of the conflict had already been buried during Emperor Xia's time. But it's just that Emperor Xia was a benevolent ruler, thus this seed never grew during his time."
Zhu Yi, Yang Qing and Li Yuanfang nodded their heads as they heard this. Zhu Yi then said slowly, "When the Emperor of the Dead just ascended the throne and before he revealed his true colors, he pretended to be a benevolent ruler. At the start, he put down the people of Emperor Xia, which won the hearts of everyone in the Divine Lands."
"Emperor Xia's people invited a lot of hate at that point in time, thus such a reaction was expected."
Thinking about how Emperor Xia was assassinated by the Emperor of the Dead, everyone could not help but feel spooked.
Xiao Yan continued saying, "Emperor Xia and Empress Xia were very kind towards their own people. They adored their own children too. The son of Emperor Xia was a lecher and he was very domineering too. Often, he would fight for beauties, who were the daughters of many other powers within the human race."
"More accurately speaking, besides the Great Void Sect, the other powers in the Divine Lands were not spared. Once, he snatched a lady from the same family as Emperor Gu, which caused a huge resistance from the Gu Family then."
Xiao Yan sighed, "After the incident, Emperor Xia was informed. After he was aware of what happened, he punished his own son and his people. But because Empress Xia pleaded for them, things never went out of hand afterall."
"Emperor Xia compensated the Gu Family with material resources and even guided the cultivations of many rising talents from the Gu Family. Emperor Gu, who had only just started out then, was also of them.."
"Emperor Gu displayed outstanding potential when he was young and was rated by Emperor Xia, who nurtured him. Strictly speaking, they were partly Master and disciple. Thus, Emperor Gu was actually very respectful towards Emperor Xia. "But it's a pity that he clashed with the son of Emperor Xia, which led to many conflicts between both parties. But on account of Emperor Xia, Emperor Gu tolerated the son of Emperor Xia on many occasions."
Yang Qing nodded his head, "The rumors that Emperor Gu and Emperor Xia were in disagreement with each other actually originated from the enmity between the people of the Emperor Gu and Emperor Xia."
Xiao Yan nodded his head, "You are right. According to the records of Zhener's family, when Emperor Xia died, Emperor Gu actually decked himself in mourning clothes to mourn the death of Emperor Xia."
He scanned the barren plots of land in the Ancient Longevity World, "In the history of human emperors, the ones who were most adept in pill cultivation were Emperor Chong, Emperor Xia and Emperor Gu. Emperor Chong became the first person in the human race to organize the spells to cultivate pills in the system, setting up the foundation for the future generations. Emperor Xia created the strongest pill cultivation crucible in the history of the Divine Lands, the Crucible of the Divine Lands. Whereas Emperor Gu created the Antarctica Longevity Grand Formation. One of its uses was to aid in the cultivation of pills."
"In terms of formations, this was the most suitable formation to cultivate pills." Xiao Yan might not have tried to figure out the Antarctica Longevity Grand Formation in the past when he visited the Ancient Longevity World out of respect, but with his current cultivation and talent in cultivating pills, he was able to reap some rewards as he stood within it. This allowed him to improve his own pill cultivation spells too, as he could reference to the formation.
Li Yuanfang shut his eyes and only opened it after a while. He then nodded his head, "While it's unclear, I can tell that this formation is indeed miraculous. It has a strong life-breeding effect, which is not inferior to the Changes of Life and Death of the Two Elements of Creation Formation."
"It may not be as rapid and intense as the Changes of Life and Death in revolving the cycle of life and death, but it could sustain this arrangement for an extended period of time."
The disciples kept on interacting with one another using their powers, while Lin Feng's Avatar of Ares walked along with Gu Cheng.
Gu Cheng pondered and said, "Master Lin, I have to tell you something. The leader of the Great Void Sect, Yan Nanlai, as well as the Supreme Elders of the Great Void Sect, Wu Mengqi and Qing Ning Holy Man will be coming to the Ancient Longevity World with Lin Daohan and bunch of junior disciples today."
As Lin Feng heard this, he turned to look at Gu Cheng. Gu Cheng continued speaking, "Their reason for this is to exchange tips on the cultivation of pills and medicine."
After pausing for a moment, he followed by saying, "We have an incomplete chapter of the Great Void Sect's long-lost pill formula, which is also why they are making this trip."
While it sounded like that, Gu Cheng's intentions were very clearly understood.
If it's just for the purpose of exchanging tips on pill cultivation and for the pill formula, then the Qing Ning Holy Man could just bring a small group over.
At this timing, Yan Nanlai decided to lead a group to the Ancient Longevity World personally. His reason was clear, but for some reason, the Four Grand Elders of the Great Void Sect were not here.
But whether they were really busy or this was part of their plan, it was difficult to tell. After all, the Ancient Longevity World was not comparable to the Starry Sea. Thinking about it, it was much simpler over here.
"For the Great Void Sect comrades to witness this joyous occasion for us, I'll say that they are very suitable guests. This also adds on to the celebratory spirit." Lin Feng smiled and looked forward.
The huge city appeared in the horizon afar. There was a huge pavilion in that city. Although it was not flashing with golden radiance, it still possessed a mighty aura.
From the pavilion, a mighty stature was revealed, as if it was an imperial palace.