Eternal Sacred King Chapter 351 to 360
Chapter 351: Great You Dynasty
Su Zimo and the rest sped towards the ancient ruins marked on the map.
During this period of time, they were attacked by birds, beasts and ancient living beings as well. Thankfully, they managed to survive and reached the vicinity of the ancient ruins after three days.
Many cultivators were gathered at the foot of a steep mountain. They were all dressed differently and it was clear that they were from different sects and factions.
“The seal of this cave abode is getting weaker. We’ll probably be able to remove the seal before night falls.”
“That’s right. It won’t be in vain that we’ve waited here for so long.”
Some of the groups contained dozens of people but there were also small groups of less than three. A single glance revealed that there were hundreds of people, either whispering in hushed tones or conversing loudly.
Apart from Su Zimo’s group, there were also other cultivators gathering towards this place and the crowd was increasing.
Through the other cultivators, Su Zimo’s group got to know that there was a concealment formation surrounding this ancient ruin previously. The cultivators who had entered the ancient battlefield previously did not manage to discover this place and that’s why it was preserved.
As time passed by, the concealment formation could no longer hold out and dissipated, revealing signs of the ruin. As such, the number of cultivators that discovered it increased.
However, there was still a sort of seal surrounding the ruin that no one was able to dispel. Hence, they could only wait for it to dissipate on its own.
“By the looks of it, this should be a cave abode left behind by a Golden Core. I wonder what treasures are inside.”
“Hopefully, there’s a Meridian Unlocking Elixir. Of course, it’ll be even better if there are supreme-grade spirit weapons!”
“Perhaps there’s even a perfect spirit weapon!”
“Yes, looking at the seal outside this cave abode, this Golden Core wasn’t someone weak in the ancient era. There’s a possibility that he may have left behind a perfect spirit weapon.”
There were different types of ruins in the ancient battlefield. Some of them were cave abodes left behind by ancient cultivators such as the one before them. There were also ruins of sects that would contain a myriad of secret skills and elixir recipes, some of which may have already been extinct.
The first goal of all cultivators who entered the ancient battlefield was the Meridian Unlocking Elixir.
For Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Meridian Unlocking Elixir was a treasure that had long been lost in Tianhuang Mainland.
Each time a Meridian Unlocking Elixir showed itself, it would lead to a bloody battle!
Su Zimo brought Ji Yaoxue and the others to the foot of the mountain where they settled down at an empty space, waiting for the seal to dissipate.
He gazed at the cave abode at the top of the mountain in deep thoughts.
Little fatty analyzed, “I don’t think there’s anything good in a cave abode left behind by a Golden Core. There’s a higher chance of finding a Meridian Unlocking Elixir in the ruins of a sect.”
“That’s not for sure.”
Su Zimo shook his head. “Anyone who can dominate the ancient battlefield and leave behind an inheritance cave abode is far from simple. Furthermore, the fact that the seal of this cave abode did not dissipate for so long is proof that there must be great treasures within!”
As time passed by, the aura of the seal outside the cave abode weakened and the number of cultivators increased.
Although everyone was fine now, the tension at the foot of the mountain was getting increasingly heavy.
The reason why there was no conflict was because the treasures were not seen yet.
It was almost certain that blood would be spilled the moment a rare treasure showed itself!
Suddenly, a commotion broke out from the crowd as they dispersed while a group of cultivators with cold expressions wearing dark metal armor strode through.
“It’s the Great You Dynasty. We have to be careful later.”
Ji Yaoxue looked at the dozens of cultivators nearby and whispered, “Their leader should be the prince of the Great You Dynasty.”
Right as Ji Yaoxue said that, the Great You prince turned around, seemingly sensing something. When he saw Su Zimo and the rest, there was a flash of mockery in his eyes.
“That’s all the people you have left? Seems like the Great Zhou Dynasty has suffered quite a heavy loss in just over 10 days.”
The Great You prince chuckled. “I’ll give you guys a suggestion. Stay away from this mess and you might be able to return to Great Zhou alive. Otherwise, fufu...”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ji Yaoxue’s tone was calm.
The Great You prince’s eyes lit up when he caught sight of Ji Yaoxue’s appearance. A strange glint flashed in his eyes as he laughed evilly. “How may I address you, beauty?”
Right after, he looked around and caught sight of Leng Rou and Su Xiaoning, causing the evil glint in his eyes to intensify.
“Not bad, not bad.”
The Great You prince laughed as he rubbed his hands together. “You guys come in all shapes and sizes and each has your own merits. I like it, fufu.”
“Insolent!”
Jun Hao bolted upright and shouted with a sullen expression, “This is the princess of Great Zhou! How dare you speak such filthy words!”
Su Zimo frowned.
Although Jun Hao seemed like he was chiding the Great You Dynasty, he was exposing Ji Yaoxue’s identity at the same time – it was hard to tell if his action was justified.
“No wonder.”
The Great You prince burst into laughter and stared at Ji Yaoxue’s flawless face with darkened eyes. His gaze seemed illusory as he said, “That’s an aura that only a princess can possess.”
For some reason, Ji Yaoxue felt her head spin when she met with the Great You prince’s gaze. She felt drowsy and was losing her consciousness.
All of a sudden!
A figure appeared in front of Ji Yaoxue, blocking her from the Great You prince’s gaze.
Ji Yaoxue shrugged her head and took a deep breath, regaining clarity in her eyes.
There was a hint of regret in the depths of the Great You prince’s eyes.
Su Zimo said indifferently, “Just a word of advice, don’t seek trouble for yourself.”
The Great You prince frowned as he looked at the scholarly green-robed cultivator standing between the both of them. Narrowing his gaze, he commanded coldly, “Get lost!”
“Hmm?”
Focusing his gaze, the aura around Su Zimo changed all of a sudden!
It was as if a strong stench of blood was being exuded from Su Zimo, causing one’s heart to palpitate!
To the Great You prince, the frail scholar in his eyes had suddenly turned into a mighty fiendcelestial that had emerged from hell, trampling over mountains of corpses and bloodied oceans with a repressive aura!
His heart almost popped out of his throat from the shock of meeting Su Zimo’s gaze.
Clang! Clang!
The guards beside the Great You prince stood forward instinctively, unsheathing the sharp blades around their waist as they glared at Su Zimo nervously and cautiously.
Suddenly, the mountain that they were standing on quaked and an ancient aura dissipated, revealing a cave abode on the middle of the mountain. The eyes of many cultivators lit up.
The seal had dissipated!
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Many cultivators summoned their flying swords and soared into the skies. There were more than a thousand of them as they sped towards the cave abode in a dense pack.
Those who entered the cave abode first naturally had the advantage to obtain the treasures before the others.
Su Zimo retracted his gaze and suppressed the killing intent in his heart. He turned to Ji Yaoxue and everyone else, waving his hand. “Let’s go!”
The Great You prince looked hateful as he ordered coldly, “Let’s fight for the treasure first. We’ll deal with this person later.”
“Bang!”
The cultivators who arrived at the cave abode first struck and shattered the entrance.
Amidst the rolling dust, everyone rushed inside.
Chapter 352: Quasi-Connate Spirit Weapon
Inside the cave abode, an ancient aura gushed out and the only things that could be seen were five dark tunnels leading deep into the unknown.
The cultivators who entered the cave abode paused, looking hesitant.
All five tunnels looked identical and nobody knew which one would lead to a Meridian Unlocking Elixir or other treasures at the end – they could only try their luck.
However, if they chose the wrong tunnel, there was a high chance they would return with nothing!
They only had one chance!
Many cultivators hesitated for a moment before choosing a tunnel to rush inside.
The Great You cultivators entered, marching neatly and disciplined; a single look could tell that they were iron-blooded warriors.
“Split into five teams and enter the different tunnels. Return here immediately if you find nothing!” The Great You prince’s voice rang.
“Understood!”
The Great You cultivators replied in unison.
Ji Yaoxue and the others instinctively looked at Su Zimo. Unknowingly, he was long regarded as the commander of the expedition by everyone.
The safest way would naturally be to split up like the Great You Dynasty. That way, the chances of them finding treasures would increase as well.
However, there were only 11 of them. Once they separated, their strength would be divided and they could be easily killed given the chaotic situation.
A look of determination flashed through Su Zimo’s eyes as he said in a deep voice, “We’ll split up. I’ll take the second tunnel from the left alone while the 10 of you choose another tunnel.”
Even if he was alone, Su Zimo was confident that he could escape unscathed.
Among the 10 people of Ji Yaoxue’s group, most of them were at five meridian Foundation Establishment and Ji Chengtian was at six. Furthermore, Night Spirit would be with them and they would be able to defend themselves if they met with danger.
Su Xiaoning closed her eyes and sensed her surroundings before saying suddenly, “Let’s take the fourth tunnel from the right.”
Along the journey, Su Xiaoning rarely spoke nor gave suggestions. Her sudden decision surprised everyone.
Ji Yaoxue pondered for a while before nodding. “We’ll listen to Xiaoning. She’s the only Elixir Refinement Master among us.”
She paused for a moment before turning to Su Zimo with a worried expression. “Be careful too, Zimo.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll look for you guys as soon as possible.”
After saying that, he patted Night Spirit on the head and sped towards the second tunnel in a flash.
Ji Yaoxue and the others followed suit and rushed towards the fourth tunnel.
In the blink of an eye, the hall of the cave abode was empty, leaving only a mess.
Even though the cave abode had five tunnels, there were even more cultivators who had entered and each tunnel had more than 200 cultivators in them!
Condensing his Ethereal Wings, Su Zimo sped forward and overtook a group of cultivators before long.
“Bang!” Boom! “Bang!”
There was a loud crash ahead.
Su Zimo looked over and saw that there was a stone chamber at the end of the tunnel. The cultivators who had arrived first were already working together to break the door.
However, the stone door was extremely thick and shone with a metallic luster. Even after countless years, it did not corrode and was still indestructible.
Against the impact of many spirit arts and weapons, the stone door shook endlessly and dust fell. However, it refused to go down.
Splash!
Bang! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, the sound of a tsunami wave mixed with rolling thunder could be heard above the heads of the cultivators, echoing in a terrifying manner.
Right after, a figure flew past their head and crashed against the stone door heavily!
“Bang!”
There was a deafening noise.
Under countless frightful gazes, that thick stone door was shattered by that figure and crumbled on the spot into a pile of rubble!
Psst!
The cultivators gasped.
Was that even a human?
After smashing the stone door, Su Zimo entered the chamber without hesitation.
It was a spirit weapon chamber!
The stone chamber was extremely spacious and there was a crack as thick as an arm on the ceiling. It crossed the entire room and one could see the skies outside that was gradually darkening.
There were many spirit weapons in the stone chamber. Most of them were flying swords but there were also armors, shields and other defensive spirit weapons. They were mostly scattered on aged stone racks.
At a glance, there were hundreds of them!
When the cultivators rushed in and caught sight of the spirit weapons, their eyes reddened slightly with greed.
“Snatch!”
Without any hesitation, the cultivators started fighting for the spirit weapons on the stone racks.
“Three superior-grade spirit weapons!”
“Hahaha! This is a supreme-grade flying sword! The heavens are on my side!”
Su Zimo was calm and unhurried. His eyes were clear and shone with a glint as he swept his gaze across the spirit weapons on the stone rack.
To be fair, he did not have much of an interest towards spirit weapons.
That was unless they were perfect-grade or the legendary connate spirit weapons.
However, the chances of him coming across a connate spirit weapon in a cave abode at the borders of the ancient battlefield was extremely slim.
Su Zimo was merely looking around to see if there were any perfect spirit weapons.
All of a sudden!
His gaze landed on a gigantic dark bow.
The bow was placed in a corner and looked extremely ordinary and inconspicuous.
However, it was almost night outside and the moon was hanging high in the sky. The cool and gentle moonlight shone through the crack on the ceiling and spilled onto the gigantic dark bow.
A ray of moonlight slid down the curve of the bow, revealing that there was no dust on it at all!
Su Zimo’s eyes lit up.
Swash!
With a swift motion, he sprinted towards the corner. Lifting the gigantic bow in the blink of an eye, he injected spirit energy into it.
Bam!
The bow quivered and let out a trembling sound that rattled one’s heart.
Five beams of spirit light shone on the gigantic bow!
Five spirit patterns, it was a perfect spirit weapon!
Su Zimo was elated.
There were three small words etched inside the bow.
Moon Concealment Bow.
Right after, Su Zimo’s heart stirred as he exclaimed softly.
Behind the three words was a faint spirit pattern that emitted a soft glow. It was barely discernible against the five spirit patterns.
“This is...”
A connate spirit pattern!
Su Zimo was shocked.
He finally understood the crack on the ceiling of the stone chamber existed.
The direction of the crack was aligned to the moon’s trajectory. Every night, moonlight would spill onto this gigantic bow, nourishing it!
In the ancient battlefield where the spirit qi was so rich, there could only be a single reason why the owner of the cave abode did this.
He was trying to make use of the moon essence and the ancient spirit qi to create a connate spirit weapon!
However, it was a pity that the connate spirit pattern was not fully formed and could only be considered as half-nourished.
The Moon Concealment Bow could only be considered as a quasi-connate spirit weapon.
Suddenly, Su Zimo felt a sense of danger as he sensed scorching gazes piercing his back.
The stone chamber seemed to have gone quiet all of a sudden.
The five spirit lights emanating from the Moon Concealment Bow were completely exposed to the other cultivators, attracting everyone’s attention!
A perfect spirit weapon!
A treasure that even Golden Cores would bleed for!
No one spoke and everyone’s breathing became heavier...
Chapter 353: Might of Moon Concealment
“Kill!”
Finally, some of the cultivators could not hold back anymore and struck, conjuring hand seals and pointing towards Su Zimo.
Swoosh!
A fiery fireball flew over.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of swords clanging rang as countless spirit lights flashed. In the blink of an eye, the stone chamber was filled with sword qi that were all directed towards a single person – Su Zimo!
The cultivators who struck came from different factions and sects. However, all of them had a tacit understanding at that moment.
To them, even a six meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator would die without a doubt against such furious attacks!
The fiery fireball shot by and the air crackled from the heat.
Bang!
Suddenly, Su Zimo extended his palm and trails of lightning wrapped around his arm as he grabbed the incoming fireball.
His palm was unharmed!
Spirit arts of that level could not threaten Su Zimo at all. Perhaps, he might have been more concerned if they were cast by a seven meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
When the cultivators saw that, their pupils constricted.
Right after, everyone’s vision blurred.
Su Zimo had already vanished from where he was.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A bloody path appeared within the crowd as people were knocked away by a tremendous force, turning into blood mists.
Some of them smashed against the stone walls, bleeding from head to toe with broken bones.
Some of them were ruptured before they could even react and died on the spot!
It was too fast!
In the blink of an eye, Su Zimo had already charged into the crowd.
Within a stone chamber as such, Su Zimo’s melee combat strength was thoroughly maximized!
A Great You cultivator on the left slashed over. Su Zimo sidestepped and threw out a punch, striking his enemy right in the chest.
Snap!
The person’s chest sank in and a bone-crushing sound could be heard.
Flying from the spot, the person’s eyes dimmed and he died on the spot!
Suddenly, Su Zimo retreated furiously. Focusing his strength on his back, he leaned backwards with an explosive force.
A cultivator behind him was sent flying and exploded into a blood mist in midair.
Su Zimo’s footsteps changed continuously and he took another sidestep. Ramming his knees straight, he zigzagged forward and trampled a cultivator into two!
Mountain Reliance, Sanguine Ape Fist Seal and Divine Steed Dismemberment were all killing moves of the Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness – anyone who was struck was bound to die!
All of those moves were cultivated in life and death situations, nourished through the baptism of blood and each of them exemplified the maximum prowess of their respective demon kings.
Su Zimo tossed and turned in the crowd and with every step he took, chaos ensued. He barged left and right with a torrential aura and no one was a match for him at all!
All of a sudden!
Su Zimo’s mind flashed with a warning within that extremely chaotic battlefield.
A barely perceptible sound pierced towards the back of his head – Su Zimo would not have heard it if he had not cleared his ear orifices.
Without thinking twice, he released Ethereal Wings and soared into the air while curling into a ball.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
A streak of blue light shot past Su Zimo’s feet, giving off a pungent stench.
It was a chain of needles as thick as a cow’s hair!
“Oh? It’s poisoned!”
Su Zimo narrowed his eyes.
If it was any ordinary poison, Su Zimo would have nothing to fear.
His spirit perception did not warn him at all even when he was tainted with the blood of the Blood Centipede King.
However, his spirit perception gave off a warning against this chain of bright blue poison needles.
The poison was either so strong that even his bloodline could not endure it or it had to be very famous!
Before Su Zimo could finish that thought, the poison needles landed in the crowd and struck a few cultivators who did not manage to dodge in time.
Their expressions changed and their foreheads turned black instantly. Before they could take a few steps, they turned black from head to toe and collapsed to the ground, dying from the poison!
The entire process took less than three breaths!
“What a strong poison!”
Su Zimo swept his gaze across the crowd and could not help but frown when he could not find the perpetrator.
“Mystify!”
Suddenly, he extended his arm and a ball of lightning condensed in his palm. The ball exploded in front of everyone in a blinding manner.
Thunder rumbled and echoed back and forth within that stone chamber, turning increasingly clear and deafening!
The thunder art of the Void Thunder Manual could make use of the explosiveness of thunder to blind the five senses of a cultivator.
Worried about the safety of Ji Yaoxue and the others, Su Zimo had no intention of getting held back by the cultivators in the stone chamber. Furthermore, there was even a cultivator that was like a viper hidden in the midst.
With the help of Mystify, he charged out of the stone chamber in a flash and sped out the tunnel he came from.
“Chase!”
“He has a perfect spirit weapon! We can’t let him run just like that!”
Many cultivators adapted through Mystify and shouted together, riding on the flying swords as they chased through the tunnel.
In the crowd, a skinny man that looked extremely ordinary glared at Su Zimo’s back view. A cold light flashed through his eyes and he followed the others in the pursuit.
Within the tunnel, flying swords and spirit arts were shot out continuously.
Su Zimo was extremely annoyed. Suddenly, he recalled the quasi-connate spirit weapon he had just obtained and retrieved the Moon Concealment Bow from his storage bag.
Arrow, load and strung bow like a full moon!
The entire action was done in one go and the five spirit patterns on the Moon Concealment Bow shone with a cold and gentle gleam, resembling a full moon.
Pshew!
Three arrows shot out in succession but there was only a single sound streaking through the void.
The cultivator at the front of the chase was a six meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator. When he saw Su Zimo load the arrow, he was already prepared and crushed a protection talisman instantly.
Poof!
There was a crisp sound.
The moment the protection talisman was formed, it was pierced by an arrow. That person’s head was pierced as well and exploded on the spot.
A cultivator behind the person was totally unprepared and was struck by the arrow which still had momentum, falling from midair.
Confident of his heavy armor, a Great You cultivator did not reduce his speed while injecting spirit energy furiously, causing his armor to shine with three spirit lights.
It was a superior-grade defensive spirit weapon!
Poof!
An arrow tore through the air and pierced the person’s armor instantly.
The person’s heart protecting mirror shattered and a bloodied hole appeared in his chest where blood spurted out.
Taking a few more steps forward, that person landed heavily on the ground with widened eyes, unable to die in peace.
Su Zimo was secretly shocked at the sight.
The might of the Moon Concealment Bow was astonishing and it could even destroy the defense of a superior-grade spirit weapon with ease – its killing potential was even greater than Blood Quencher! There was no wonder why it was a quasi-connate spirit weapon!
With three arrows, five cultivators, including a six meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator, were already killed!
The cultivators who were hot on Su Zimo’s tail slowed down immediately as no one wanted to run in front.
If the green-robed cultivator ahead were to turn back and fire a couple more arrows in this narrow tunnel, they were bound to die as they were all squeezed with nowhere to hide.
With that delay, Su Zimo had already run further and further.
Returning to the hall of the cave abode, Su Zimo looked around but he did not find Ji Yaoxue and the others. Instead, he saw quite a number of cultivators coming forth from the other tunnels, heading into the fourth tunnel from the left.
That was the tunnel that Ji Yaoxue and the others had chosen.
“I heard it’s an elixir chamber at this side and there’s a Meridian Unlocking Elixir!”
“Hurry! We’ll miss it if we’re too late!”
When he heard those comments, Su Zimo’s heart skipped a beat.
“Roar!”
Suddenly, a terrifying roar echoed from the depths of that tunnel, chilling as though it was a god of war from hell.
“Night Spirit!”
Su Zimo narrowed his gaze. Without hesitation, he sprinted towards the fourth tunnel in a flash.
Chapter 354: Let’s See Who Dares to Move!
Cultivators rushed into the fourth tunnel continuously, all of their eyes red with excitement.
The Meridian Unlocking Elixir was only effective when consumed for the first time. Even in the ancient era, it was an extremely rare item that was difficult to refine and was offered by super sects to their legacy disciples as rewards.
“They found Meridian Unlocking Elixirs in there?”
“I heard that there’s three.”
“That’s too little.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it. Unless it’s the ruins of a great sect, there’s no way there would be so many Meridian Unlocking Elixirs. It’s already extremely lucky to find three Meridian Unlocking Elixirs in this cave abode left behind by a Golden Core.”
There were hundreds of cultivators gathered outside the elixir chamber and their numbers were rising!
“Ji Yaoxue, the Great Zhou Dynasty won’t be able to hold onto the three Meridian Unlocking Elixirs. I advise all of you to know what’s good for you!” The Great You prince’s voice sounded.
“That’s right! Hand the Meridian Unlocking Elixirs over!” Some cultivators shouted.
In the depths of the elixir chamber, Ji Yaoxue and the others were huddled in a defensive formation. They looked grim and there were corpses around them.
“Buzz!”
The wings behind Ji Chengtian flapped and his supreme-grade flying sword circled around him, shining with four bedazzling spirit lights as it hummed.
He surveyed the surroundings and said in a deep voice, “You’ll have to ask my sword if you want the elixirs!”
Even though he said that, Ji Chengtian was nervous internally and his palms were sweating – the situation was extremely unfavorable for them.
The three Meridian Unlocking Elixirs instantly turned Ji Yaoxue and everyone else into public enemies!
If not for Ji Chengtian and Night Spirit’s consecutive attacks that cleanly killed off some of the cultivators that attacked them, they might have already been drowned in the chaos.
“Fufu.”
The Great You prince chuckled. “Fellow Daoist, you don’t have to act tough. There’s hundreds of us here. You guys will die soon enough with just a single sword strike from each of us.”
“But none of you will be able to escape unscathed as well!” Even though Ji Yaoxue was a woman, there was a sharp and murderous look on her face, showing her resolve.
There was no way anyone would hand over the Meridian Unlocking Elixirs that they have obtained.
The reason why the other cultivators had not attacked was because they were wary of Ji Chengtian who was in midair and Night Spirit on the ground.
However, as time passed by, the cultivators gathered outside increased and the patience of the cultivators here was running out.
All of them looked menacing and conjured hand seals while summoning their flying swords – they could strike at any moment!
The Great You prince swept his gaze past Ji Yaoxue, Leng Rou and Su Xiaoning before laughing coldly. “Three beauties, I really can’t bear to trample on you guys as such. You had better know your place or I won’t be able to protect you as well once the fight breaks out, fufu...”
“This is a feud between the Great Zhou and Great You dynasties. Some cultivators, I’m advising you not to be used as a weapon!” Ji Yaoxue ignored the Great You prince and looked at the other cultivators, trying to make some of them back off.
The Great You prince snorted coldly with a vicious glint in his eyes before declaring loudly, “Everyone, blood must be spilled if you want the elixirs! Meridian Unlocking Elixirs are getting rarer these days. Right now, there’s three of them here! May they end up in the hands of the strongest ones!”
With that said, he waved his arm and shouted coldly, “Kill!”
Boom!
That command lit up the flames of war as a roar erupted from the crowd.
Hundreds of cultivators conjured hand seals and pointed their fingers towards Ji Yaoxue and the rest. The spirit arts rained down like a torrential rain, sweeping over in an encompassing blanket of light.
The spirit qi within the elixir chamber surged instantly, almost turning corporeal!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Sword qi tore through the air and came one after another.
Hundreds and thousands of sword lights flashed, beaming forth with an endless brightness as the temperature within the elixir chamber dipped all of a sudden.
These were absolutely devastating attacks!
At that moment, even Ji Chengtian who was at six meridian Foundation Establishment looked somewhat pale.
The situation before him was much more treacherous than when they were surrounded by the Great Xia and Great Shang dynasties 10 days ago!
Ji Yaoxue and the others hurried and crushed their protection talismans.
Leng Rou poured out all the defensive talismans from her storage bag and cast them out at one go. Dozens of talismans formed layers of barriers around them.
This was the strength of a Talisman Master.
While they were not considered strong in head-on combats, if they had sufficient talismans, they could kill foes of even higher cultivation realms by overwhelming them with offensive and defensive talismans!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The spirit arts slammed against the talisman barriers and let out a huge boom.
With hundreds of cultivators attacking at the same time, the amount of burst power was too much and Leng Rou’s talisman barriers disintegrated one after another.
Dozens of Great You cultivators clad in heavy armor rushed towards Ji Yaoxue’s group, wielding steel sabers.
In the crowd, some body tempered cultivators were rapidly approaching as well.
All of a sudden!
A shadow darted by, dashing towards the incoming Great You cultivators like a ghost in the night.
It was Night Spirit!
Ten sharp claws extended silently, shimmering with a cold glint as they reached out for the throats of two cultivators.
With a thud, their throats were mangled and filled with blood – they fell dead on the spot.
Night Spirit’s whip-like tail waved around the crowd, ripping apart the bodies of a few cultivators and the sharp spike on its tip only stopped after it penetrated the heads of two cultivators!
“Roar!”
Lowering its head,, Night Spirit opened its bloodied mouth and let out a deafening roar. It revealed its ferocious fangs and looked like it was ready to pounce.
The entire elixir chamber shook as dust drifted down.
“Ah! Ah! Ahhhh!”
Many cultivators cried out in pain as they stopped to cover their ears subconsciously.
Some of the cultivators laid out protection talisman barriers beforehand but everything shattered from the sound!
A row of cultivators standing closest to Night Spirit had their eyes bulge out with veins as fresh blood seeped from their eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
They were bleeding from all orifices!
The light in the eyes of those cultivators dimmed as they collapsed limply on the floor – they were shocked to death by Night Spirit’s voice!
Many cultivators were shocked when they saw this.
Right after, Night Spirit returned to Su Xiaoning’s side and surveyed its surroundings coldly, guarding her carefully.
Buzz!
An imperceptible ripple appeared in the void, as though it was the surface of a shimmering lake, and pierced into the crowd.
Ethereal Sword, Void level!
Poof!
A cultivator’s head was pierced and he died on the spot.
Ji Yaoxue, little fatty and the others struck as well.
In the blink of an eye, the Great You Dynasty lost dozens of cultivators and a look of hatred flashed through the prince’s eyes. However, he gathered his spirits and yelled, “Everyone, hold steady! There’s only 10 of them! There’s no need for us to fear that demon beast if we work together!”
In that exchange of blows, Leng Rou’s dozens of talisman barriers were already disintegrated.
Although Ji Yaoxue and the rest were fine and they managed to get some counter-kills with the help of Night Spirit, the number of opposing cultivators was increasing. As long as their enemies worked together, they were bound to be severely injured or dead!
Against such intense attacks, even Night Spirit might not be able to protect Su Xiaoning completely.
“Kill them!”
The Great You prince raised his hand and hollered.
“Let’s see who dares to move!”
Suddenly, a frosty voice sounded from behind the crowd.
Immediately after, the sound of clothes fluttering through the air at an extremely fast speed arrived as a chilling aura that rattled one’s heart accompanied it!Chapter 355: Shocked Crowd
In a chaotic battlefield with hundreds of cultivators, no one would stop just because someone asked them to.
Within the crowd, there were still some cultivators who summoned their flying swords and conjured hand seals.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
A loud sound tore through the void at an extremely fast speed and a few cold lights flashed.
The arrows arrived before the person did.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
With a few crisp sounds, blood flashed. The few cultivators had just conjured their spirit arts and summoned their flying swords. However, their heads were pierced and they died on the spot before they could even make their moves!
“Who’s there?!”
The crowd exploded and a series of shouts rang out.
Swoosh!
A green shadow darted over as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, he crossed everyone’s head and charged into the elixir chamber, descending slowly in front of Ji Yaoxue and the rest.
“You again!”
The Great You prince’s face darkened when he caught sight of Su Zimo. However, he gloated internally the next moment.
In this situation, anyone who came would die!
The Great You prince refused to believe that this frail-looking green-robed cultivator could salvage this situation.
They had hundreds and thousands of meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivators; even a seven meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator might not be able to escape unscathed!
Su Zimo swept his gaze and was only relieved when he saw that Ji Yaoxue and the rest were not injured.
“Zimo, watch out! There are at least a dozen or so six meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivators on the other side!”
Ji Yaoxue whispered to remind him.
Right then, the cultivators pursuing from the spirit weapon chamber had caught up as well, glaring at Su Zimo with caution and indignance.
Among them, a Great You cultivator pointed at Su Zimo while panting. “Your Highness, that person took away a perfect spirit weapon from the spirit weapon chamber! It’s that bow in his hands!”
A perfect spirit weapon!
Upon hearing those words, the eyes of many cultivators lit up and countless gazes locked onto the long bow in Su Zimo’s hands greedily.
“Good, good! Three Meridian Unlocking Elixirs and a perfect spirit weapon...”
The Great You prince clapped and smiled. His smile turned increasingly sinister and his voice was chillingly cold. “Let’s see how many lives the Great Zhou Dynasty has to spare!”
“What a coincidence.”
Su Zimo smiled indifferently. “I would like to see how many lives you guys can take as well!”
Right after he said that, Su Zimo’s eyes shone with a cold glint. Unknowingly, a long arrow had appeared in his palm and was loaded on the bowstring.
The Moon Concealment Bow shone brightly.
Swoosh!
Tearing through the air, the long arrow stabbed towards the Great You prince’s head with an instant cold light!
“Not good!”
“Be careful, Your Highness!”
No one had expected that Su Zimo would take the initiative so fearlessly in the face of hundreds of menacing Foundation Establishment Cultivators!
How daring did he have to be?
What was even more frightening was that the arrow was too fast and powerful that it could not be dodged at all!
Blood drained from the Great You prince’s face.
A Great You guard leaped in front of the Great You prince, whipping out a gigantic steel shield that landed on the ground with a boom.
Clang!
A circular hole appeared on the surface of the steel.
The arrow pierced the shield and the person’s head, slamming heavily into the Great You prince’s chest before stopping and falling to the ground.
Snap!
A series of cracks rippled through the heart protecting mirror at the Great You prince’s chest as well.
Swoosh!
Before the Great You prince could react, another chilling sound shot out, as though the air was being torn apart.
A second arrow!
Clang!
Two Great You guards were the first to react as they pulled out their sabers and defended against the arrow.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing could be heard as sparks flew.
The two Great You guards shuddered and their palms cracked. Yelling in pain, their sabers flew from their hands.
Swoosh!
The arrow pierced the Great You prince’s chest once more. Even though most of its power was reduced because of the two guards, the heart protecting mirror at his chest was still shattered!
Swoosh!
Once again, the sound of an arrow tearing through air reverberated without giving the Great You prince a chance to breathe.
While the two consecutive arrows did not manage to injure the Great You prince, he was already scared out of his wits.
At that moment, the Great You prince had just summoned his flying sword and was about to soar into the air to escape. Suddenly, a cold light appeared before his eyes, growing larger by the moment.
The Great You prince sensed a hint of death.
Right in front of everyone, he had just leaped up when the cold light pierced through his chest. It came out from his back and was embedded heavily on the stone wall nearby.
Droplets of blood dripped from the quivering tip of the arrow.
The eyes of the Great You prince dimmed and he was already dead by the time he fell to the ground.
That arrow had not only pierced the Great You prince’s body, its powerful impact had even ruptured his organs and stole away every single bit of life in him!
A six meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator was dead within three arrows!
“B*stard, how dare you...”
Another Great You cultivator spun around with reddened eyes, wanting to charge forward with all his might.
However, Su Zimo said nothing and had already loaded another arrow.
With a swoosh, the man fell to the ground as the arrow pierced his body as well as two Great You cultivators behind him.
Another three men were dead!
“You... ”
Another Great You cultivator had just spoken.
Raising his head, Su Zimo fired another arrow.
That person was prepared and crushed a protection talisman instantly.
Poof!
The barrier formed by the protection talisman dispersed and the person fell to the ground with a hole on his face – he was dead on the spot.
In the blink of an eye, almost all the Great You cultivators were killed by a few arrows from Su Zimo.
Standing at the front, Su Zimo wielded the Moon Concealment Bow with his left hand and scanned his surroundings. His gaze burned furiously as he commented indifferently, “I’ll take the life of anyone who moves!”
Psst!
All the cultivators gasped and their gazes flickered as their impression of Su Zimo changed slowly.
Everyone thought that the green-robed cultivator seemed extremely frail and weak. However, he was merely standing among the crowd with a gigantic bow right now and yet, hundreds of Foundation Establishment Cultivators did not dare to move recklessly at all!
“I’ll take the life of anyone who moves.”
His tone was calm but it was unquestionable!
The cultivators understood that if they attacked at the same time, the green-robed cultivator wouldn’t be able to kill everyone no matter how accurate his arrows were and how strong he was.
That man would definitely die!
However, everyone also realized that the green-robed cultivator possessed the strength to kill each and every one of them – even six meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivators might not be able to escape unscathed!
No one dared to make the first move.
Hundreds of Foundation Establishment Cultivators were shocked and none of them dared move against a single man and his bow!
Right then, a cultivator yelled, “That person has another perfect spirit weapon in his possession. It’s a blood-colored saber.”
“That’s right! We saw it with our own eyes!” Someone else replied.
Two perfect spirit weapons!
The crowd was in an uproar.
“Hmm?”
Su Zimo turned his gaze to those who spoke and understood instantly.
They were cultivators of the Great Shang and Great Xia dynasties.
10 days ago, the two dynasties were defeated. These were the cultivators who had managed to escape and they were here as well, separated and hidden among the crowd.
“Fellow Daoists, there’s a few hundred of us here. How strong can that bow in his hands be?”
“That’s right. We don’t have to be frightened by him. I heard that he’s the number one Weapon Refinement Master of Great Zhou and there are many supreme-grade spirit weapons in his storage bag. If we kill him, everything will belong to us!”
Upon hearing those words, the cultivators who were initially hesitant and wanted to retreat were once again filled with murderous intent.
The crowd turned restless.
Chapter 356: Are You Looking for Me?
Two perfect spirit weapons, three Meridian Unlocking Elixirs and many more supreme-grade spirit weapons were more than enough for the cultivators to lose their minds!
“If we take action, there will definitely be cultivators who will perish under his bow. As long as it’s not me, I’ll have a chance to obtain the perfect spirit weapon and the Meridian Unlocking Elixirs!”
“That bow can load up to 10 arrows at most while we have hundreds and thousands of cultivators. How many can he kill?”
The cultivators were all tempted and harbored designs.
A skinny cultivator was hidden in the darkness, glaring at Su Zimo with a venomous gaze. A blue glint shimmered between his fingers.
A murderous intent started spreading through the stone chamber.
“Kill!”
In the crowd, someone shouted and ignited the flames of war.
Su Zimo shot out an arrow in the direction of the voice without even taking a look, killing a Great Xia cultivator that was hidden in the crowd instantly!
Many flying swords tore through the void with sharp intents and spirit qi surged within the stone chamber as spirit arts burst forth.
Su Zimo did not retreat nor dodge. His eyes lit up as he slapped his storage bag and 18 flying swords appeared instantly.
The swords quivered and shone with spirit lights before speeding off, leaving sword scars in the void as a formation light was triggered.
Right after, the 18 flying swords gathered together with their tips pointing outwards in unison, forming a gigantic sword-shaped circular disk. 18 rays of sword qi were released like a blazing sun and was extremely dazzling!
It was the Candlelight Sword Formation!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sounds of metal clashing rang as many superior-grade flying swords collided against the Candlelight Sword Formation and were repelled. They stabbed into the stone chamber’s walls and quivered endlessly.
“That person’s a Sword Formation Master!”
“18 supreme-grade flying swords! There must be even more treasures in his storage bag!”
“What a strong sword formation!”
The cultivators yelled non-stop.
“Go!”
Su Zimo pointed forward and a gigantic sword-shaped blazing sun crushed towards the crowd. The swords glowed coldly and shadows flew all over the place, accompanied by a striking blood mist.
The massacre had begun!
When he was at three Foundation Establishment, Su Zimo’s Candlelight Sword Formation could already kill five meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Now that he had unlocked his fourth spirit meridian, his spirit energy was even richer and the might of the Candlelight Sword Formation was even stronger.
Although the cultivators before him were the geniuses from various sects and factions within Tianhuang Mainland, none of them could withstand the might of candlelight.
“Ah! Ah! Ahhhh!”
Tragic cries sounded from the crowd.
Clang!
At the same time, Su Zimo put away his Moon Concealment Bow and retrieved a gigantic blood-colored saber from his storage back, slashing in reverse!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The incoming flying swords were shattered by Blood Quencher on the spot, scattering to the ground.
Supreme-grade spirit weapons were the only items able to defend against Blood Quencher’s sharpness right now!
Splash!
Bang! Boom! Boom!
Su Zimo channeled his bloodline and his body let out the terrifying sound of tsunami gushing mixed with thunder rumbling and the sinister sound of tigers and leopards.
Gripping Blood Quencher with one hand, he pointed to the group of cultivators and yelled, “This is the perfect spirit weapon, Blood Quencher! Let’s see who can take it alive!”
Many cultivators were completely stunned by Su Zimo’s methods and fell silent.
“Attack!”
At the same time, Ji Yaoxue commanded.
Everyone from Ethereal Peak attacked in succession, assisting Su Zimo.
Boom!
Su Zimo entered the stance of Plow Heaven Stride and took a step forward. Stamping on the ground with one foot, an echo shook the entire elixir chamber as though it could collapse at any moment.
Many cultivators lost their footing and almost fell to the ground.
Bursting into laughter, Su Zimo had already charged into the crowd wielding Blood Quencher with immense momentum.
The blade swung and cleaved left and right – no one could survive a single exchange against Su Zimo!
Blood Quencher was mighty to begin with; even body tempered cultivators such as little fatty and Shi Jian would not be able to lift Blood Quencher given its weight.
Coupled with Su Zimo’s strong physique and terrifying bloodline, Blood Quencher was practically a weapon of mass destruction with frightening killing potential when it was swung in the crowd!
“Let’s see where you guys can run to!”
Su Zimo barged into the crowd and focused his attention on the cultivators of Great Shang and Great Xia. No matter who was in front of him, they would be sent flying with a single strike!
Anyone touched by Blood Quencher would be severely injured, if not dead!
The survivors of the Great Shang and Great Xia dynasties were initially well-hidden within the crowd. However, Su Zimo located them in the blink of an eye and killed them on the spot!
Many cultivators were utterly defeated as broken limbs flew everywhere on the battlefield while fresh blood gushed out – the stone chamber was almost entirely dyed red.
Even six meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivators were helpless against Su Zimo.
This was a one-sided defeat!
At that moment, many cultivators were gradually realizing that only a seven meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator or the successor of one of Tianhuang Mainland’s strongest factions could take on someone like Su Zimo.
Everyone pushed, shoved and shouted as they scurried towards the tunnel they came from.
However, the entrance of the stone chamber was only so big and there was a limit to the number of cultivators the tunnel could hold. As such, the thousands of cultivators squeezed together in a chaotic manner.
All of a sudden!
A sense of danger rang in Su Zimo’s mind.
Hmm? It’s him again!
He narrowed his gaze and instantly, a murderous intent rose in his heart.
In a flash, Su Zimo lowered his body and was almost stuck to the ground. He slithered into the crowd like a snake and disappeared!
A blue light shot by the spot where Su Zimo disappeared from, flitting into the crowd.
After two breaths, the faces of more than 10 cultivators in the crowd turned black as they fell to the ground silently, dead!
In such a chaotic battlefield, it was no big deal for those few cultivators to die. Before long, their figures were drowned by more cultivators rushing from the back and no one paid attention to them.
In a corner, a skinny man hid amongst the crowd. While he looked like he was escaping, his gaze was actually fixed in the crowd, seemingly looking for something.
“Is he already dead?”
The skinny man mumbled softly with a confused expression.
The crowd had blocked his line of view for a brief moment earlier on and he seemed to have caught sight of the green-robed cultivator falling after he attacked.
Logically, that man should have been dead after being struck by his Soul Seeking Needle.
However, the skinny man searched continuously but could not find any traces of the green-robed cultivator’s corpse.
“Could his body have been shifted because of the crowd?”
Frowning tightly, the skinny man felt that there was something amiss.
Not far away, a green-robed figure was sprawled on the ground within the chaotic crowd, slithering and approaching at an extremely fast speed using all four limbs!
As the skinny man frowned in his thoughts, his vision blurred and a green figure stood up from the ground right in front of him, blocking his line of sight.
“Are you looking for me?”
An ice-cold voice rang beside the skinny man’s ears, carrying a chilling killing intent that caused his heart to sink.
Chapter 357: Poison Sect
A look of panic flickered through the skinny man’s eyes. However, he returned to normal in an instant and spirit energy surged furiously within him as he raised his palm, revealing six spirit meridians that shone beneath his robes!
A blood-red powder was thrown out, spreading instantly with a refreshing fragrance.
Su Zimo felt his head spin and his heart skipped a beat. He activated his bloodline which churned rapidly inside him and the spinning sensation disappeared immediately.
At the same time, a warning flashed in his mind. Squatting down, he curled into a ball right away.
The moment Su Zimo squatted down, a cold light flashed above his head!
He saw everything clearly – it was a long pitch-black steel needle that was hidden within the blood-red powder and was completely undetectable!
In reality, the blood-red powder was extremely toxic by itself and most cultivators would not have been able to survive it.
No matter how strong and terrifying their physiques and bloodlines were, their heads would spin and they would lose their consciousness soon after breathing it in.
During that period of time, the steel needle that was hidden in the powder would be more than enough to pierce the head of the other party!
That was the skinny man’s killing move!
In fact, he had already predicted that the blood-red powder would not have been able to hurt Su Zimo.
However, he did not expect Su Zimo to snap out of it so quickly and squat down the moment he was sober to evade the killing move!
That single exchange of blows was already filled with peril within!
Right after squatting down, Su Zimo moved in and killing intent shone in his eyes. He was in a pseudo-knelt stance with his arms propped up, as though he was making a fruit offering.
The moment he evaded the skinny man’s killing move, Su Zimo executed a killing move of his own!
The skinny man’s expression was unchanged as he leaped backwards while sending his heel forth to kick against Su Zimo’s hands.
“Hmm?”
Su Zimo frowned internally.
Usually, he would definitely be fearless if his opponent chose to meet him head-on.
Given his physique, he had absolute confidence of smashing the skinny man’s feet with a single punch!
However, for some unknown reason, Su Zimo felt uneasy the moment the skinny man kicked out.
Swoosh!
Ethereal Wings spread out behind Su Zimo and he soared into the air before the move was completely unleashed.
All of a sudden, a faint-green blade poked out from the man’s heel, emitting a pungent smell with poison tainting its tip!
While Su Zimo could have destroyed the skinny man’s sole with a single punch earlier on, he would have to be damaged by the poisoned blade in return.
Su Zimo realized that the man was filled with poison from head to toe and must not be touched!
Clang!
Hovering in midair, Su Zimo retrieved Blood Quencher from his storage bag. Descending from the skies like a god, he hollered with a torrential killing intent, “Die!!!”
Swash!
Blood Quencher slashed through the air and its massive blood beam seemed to cut the entire elixir chamber in half.
The skinny man was shocked as his vision was shrouded by the blood beam and he could barely see anything else.
Slapping on his storage bag, the skinny man hurriedly retrieved a steel shield and injected spirit energy into it, causing it to expand above his head.
Boom!
The moment the shield was summoned, the blood beam arrived and collided against its surface heavily with a resounding bang.
The shield shattered!
With a thud, a shield shard stabbed into the skinny man’s abdomen, almost penetrating through as blood gushed out.
The skinny man staggered a few steps backwards before falling to the ground, his face pale as he watched Su Zimo who was approaching. A bitter look flashed through his eyes as he laughed sinisterly. “You can’t kill me. I’m from the Poison Sect!”
“Poison Sect?”
Su Zimo arrived in front of the skinny man and looked down with a cold expression.
Sensing no reaction from Su Zimo, the skinny man laughed in a mocking manner. “From your reaction, I suppose you haven’t heard of the Poison Sect?”
Su Zimo replied indifferently, “You’re right, I haven’t indeed. However, I’d like to.”
“Heh!”
Laughing sinisterly, the skinny man said, “The Poison Sect is one of the five heretical doctrines. You won’t be able to deal with the consequences of offending us! Let me remind you that I’m merely the weakest disciple of the Poison Sect. Otherwise, there’s no reason why I would be roaming around the borders of the ancient battlefield.”
Demoness Ji had once told Su Zimo that there were nine top factions in Tianhuang Mainland and immortal, Buddhist and fiend sects were merely a part of them.
Among the nine factions, there were the unorthodox groups.
The nine immortal sects, eight demon races, seven fiend sects, six Buddhist monasteries... right after them were the five heretical doctrines!
In other words, the Poison Clan was one of the top sects in Tianhuang Mainland!
Typically, legacy disciples of these nine great factions would not be found at the borders of the ancient battlefield.
However, what the skinny man had said should be true.
Even though his cultivation realm was not high, his methods were sinister and he was filled with poison; Su Zimo could die on the spot if he was careless given his current strength!
“Five heretical doctrines, so what?”
Su Zimo asked differently.
The skinny man’s expression changed.
He could sense killing intent from Su Zimo’s calm voice!
“I’ll kill someone even if they’re from the immortal sects!”
Su Zimo laughed coldly and swung his saber!
The skinny man let out a miserable howl. “If you kill me, all of you will have to die on the ancient battlefield!”
The moment he said that, the skinny man’s head was lopped into the air with blood gushing out.
In that short while, the elixir chamber was left with nothing but corpses on the ground and the pathetic back views of all the other cultivators who had escaped.
Although Ji Yaoxue and the rest had expended a lot of energy for another intense battle, they could not conceal the excitement in their eyes.
The rewards of this battle were too great.
Notwithstanding the hundreds of storage bags, they had even retained the three Meridian Unlocking Elixirs!
Ji Yaoxue handed a jade bottle to Su Zimo with a smile. “Zimo, there are three Meridian Unlocking Elixirs inside. Take one of them. Since Xiaoning was the one who discovered their existence initially, it’s only right that she gets one. As for the last one, we’ll give it to Fellow Daoist Ji Chengtian. I’m sure no one has any objections towards the distribution.”
Su Zimo received the jade bottle and opened it to take a look.
A bitter herbal fragrance wafted out, causing the spirit energy in his meridians to rumble.
The three Meridian Unlocking Elixirs were not of high grades – one inferior and two middle-grades.
Pushing the jade bottle back, Su Zimo said, “Put it away first. We’ll talk about this later. First, let’s tidy up our gains and leave this place.”
“Alright.”
Ji Yaoxue nodded.
Before long, everyone tidied everything and left the elixir chamber with Su Zimo, returning to the hall of the cave abode.
Su Zimo looked at the five tunnels and pondered. “If those two tunnels led to the spirit weapon and elixir chambers, the other three should lead to spirit arts, talismans and secret array formation manuals.”
“That’s right, that should be the case.” Ji Chengtian nodded in agreement.
Ji Yaoxue frowned slightly. “If that’s the case, the other treasures should have been swept cleanly with so many cultivators rushing in at the start. There should be nothing left.”
“Let’s take a look.”
Su Zimo said and led the way.
As he had expected, the other three tunnels led to spirit art, talisman and array formation chambers.
The spirit art and talisman chambers were swiped cleanly by the many cultivators.
However, it was very likely that the formation chamber was still intact.
After all, there was an ancient formation set up at its entrance that had no signs of being dispelled.
Chapter 358: Decision
The formation in front of the stone chamber was initially complex and obscure. However, after all these years, it was now on the verge of collapsing.
Su Zimo observed it for a moment and started to dispel the formation.
By dawn, the ancient formation was finally dispelled as everyone cheered and followed Su Zimo inside.
This stone chamber was much more spacious than the previous ones.
Inside was a stone bed with a dried corpse sitting on it. The moment everyone entered the chamber, the movement of the air currents caused the corpse to turn into ash and scatter.
Even Golden Cores could not withstand the corrosion of time and there were no traces left.
The stone chamber did not resemble a formation chamber, but the cultivation chamber of the Golden Core instead. There were a few racks on both sides of the stone bed with many ancient manuals, jade and secret scrolls as well as jade bottles with elixirs in them.
Su Zimo casually went forward and flipped through them. There were all sorts of items in the chamber, including talisman and elixir recipes as well as secret formation manuals.
“Meridian Unlocking Elixir!”
Suddenly, Su Xiaoning’s voice sounded with delight and excitement.
Everyone turned over and saw her clutching a jade bottle tightly, her voice somewhat emotional. “There’s more Meridian Unlocking Elixirs inside!”
“Ah! How many are there?”
Little fatty and the rest asked hurriedly.
Pausing for a moment, Su Xiaoning said slowly, “13!”
“Haha! That’s great!”
Si Yutang could not help but burst into laughter.
If there were only three Meridian Unlocking Elixirs, he would not have been in line for one of them. Now that there were 13, he would get one no matter what.
Jun Hao remained calm and lowered his head slightly with a cold glint in his eyes.
Su Xiaoning continued, “Furthermore, the Meridian Unlocking Elixirs in this jade bottle are of higher grades. Five of them are superior-grade and the rest are all middle-grade.”
The other cultivators exchanged glances and smiled.
This was a pleasant surprise.
Including the three Meridian Unlocking Elixirs previously, they had a total of 16 and would have excess even after distributing to everyone.
This meant that everyone could choose to cultivate in seclusion without taking the risk to look for treasures outside and just wait to return to the Great Zhou Dynasty a year later.
In the ancient battlefield, the longer one spent outside, the easier it would be for them to meet with danger.
They did not merely have to defend against the threat of birds, beasts and ancient living beings, but also other sects and factions.
Yet, all of those were gone for them right now.
Su Zimo smiled faintly, seemingly distracted.
Ji Yaoxue frowned slightly in deep thought when she saw Su Zimo’s smile.
The timing for one to consume a Meridian Unlocking Elixir was rather particular.
Typically, most cultivators would make use of the rich spirit qi of the ancient battlefield to cultivate and only consume the Meridian Unlocking Elixir after they unlocked their sixth spirit meridian so as to attempt for the seventh.
In their group, Ji Chengtian was the only six meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator right now.
However, Ji Chengtian held onto the Meridian Unlocking Elixir in his hands and contemplated for a long time. Instead of using it, he put it away.
Su Zimo nodded in silent agreement when he saw that.
It was clear that Ji Chengtian wanted to attempt to unlock the seventh spirit meridian with his own strength and leave the Meridian Unlocking Elixir to try and attempt for the eighth meridian!
Naturally, there was no way Su Zimo was going to consume it as well.
In part, it was because his cultivation realm was too low; it would be a waste of such a treasure if he were to consume it at four meridian Foundation Establishment.
At the same time, it was because the grade of the Meridian Unlocking Elixir was too low.
Ever since he started cultivating, Su Zimo had rarely consumed elixirs and they were all at perfect-grade.
Before entering the ancient battlefield, Su Zimo had already made up his mind that not only would he have to look for a Meridian Unlocking Elixir, he had to look for one at perfect-grade!
The reason why Foundation Establishment had its name was because it was the process of stabilizing the root of one’s cultivation path.
The finer the Foundation Establishment, the slimmer the chances of one encountering issues in the future of their cultivation.
Su Zimo was an immortality and demonic cultivator to begin with and his path was fraught with difficulties – he was not going to allow any blemishes to appear on it!
The group had not slept for an entire day. Coupled with the fact that they had just experienced another intense battle, they were finally feeling the fatigue now that things had calmed down.
Without a word, little fatty looked for a corner to sleep.
Shi Jian scratched his head and looked for a corner to rest as well.
“Take a rest first if you’re tired.”
Su Zimo nodded and turned to leave.
Looking at Su Zimo’s back view, Ji Yaoxue pondered for a moment before following along.
He left the cave abode and surveyed his surroundings before soaring into the air, only returning after circling the surroundings.
Ji Yaoxue stood by the entrance of the cave abode and looked at Su Zimo who had just returned.
“What are you doing, Zimo?” Ji Yaoxue asked.
Su Zimo smiled. “I took a look around and saw that this cave abode is located halfway up the mountain and the slope is rather steep. As such, it’s easy to defend and hard for anyone to attack us. There’s even scars of formation patterns left behind which I can repair. This is an excellent place for cultivation in seclusion and you guys can stay here in peace.”
Suddenly, Ji Yaoxue asked, “Zimo, where are you going?”
“Ah?
Su Zimo froze for a moment.
He had not expected Ji Yaoxue to notice something amiss with his casual remark.
She did not say anything, merely looking at Su Zimo silently with a slightly lowered head.
After pondering for a moment, Su Zimo gave a bitter smile. “I want to check out the depths of the ancient battlefield.”
“We’ve got sufficient Meridian Unlocking Elixirs and can stay here to cultivate before returning to Great Zhou a year later. It’s too dangerous to head into the depths of the ancient battlefield!” Ji Yaoxue frowned.
“Zimo, birds and beasts are not the only ferocious things in the depths of the ancient battlefield. The cultivators there are extremely strong and they can kill people beyond their cultivation realms. Furthermore, there are many top factions and successors of super sects. If you’re alone...”
Although Ji Yaoxue did not continue, deep worry could be seen from her eyes.
Su Zimo faked a relaxed smile. “It’s fine. If I can’t defeat them, I’ll be able to escape given my strength.”
The matter about the Meridian Unlocking Elixirs was not something he could explain simply.
Moreover, Su Zimo could vaguely sense that he would still head into the depths of the ancient battlefield even without the allure of the Meridian Unlocking Elixirs.
His nature was not that of a scholar and his bloodline was filled with restlessness, a fearless bravado to continue moving forward!
He wanted to check out how the so-called successors and legacy disciples of immortal, Buddhist and top faction sects were like!
Rather, Su Zimo wanted to have a good fight with those people!
“I’ll accompany you then!”
Ji Yaoxue said, “I’ll be able to provide you with some help no matter what.”
“No.”
Decisively, Su Zimo shook his head and rejected her. “Yaoxue, there’s no need for you to take the risk and head into the depths of the ancient battlefield with me. Cultivate here and I’ll return a year later.”
“Really?” Ji Yaoxue pouted slightly in disbelief.
“Of course.”
Su Zimo smiled.
“When are you leaving?”
“A few days later, after I repair the ancient formations surrounding this cave abode.”
Pausing for a moment, Su Zimo retracted his smile and turned around with a stern expression. “There’s one more thing I have to remind you. There’s a spy remaining among us!”
Ji Yaoxue’s expression changed slightly. “Who?”
“It might be Jun Hao.”
No matter what, Jun Hao had not done anything bad right from the start and Su Zimo could not kill him out of mere suspicion.
Furthermore, Jun Hao had a special identity – he was Ji Yaoxue and Xiaoning’s senior brother of the same sect.
He just had to inform Ji Yaoxue about this so that she could watch out for him.
Chapter 359: Xuantian City
Not long after Ji Yaoxue left, Night Spirit escorted Xiaoning over as Su Zimo repaired the array formations around the cave abode.
“What’s wrong?”
He asked when he saw Xiaoning hesitant to speak, as though something was bothering her.
She hesitated for a moment before taking out an ancient Elixir Furnace and frowned. “Brother, for some reason, this Elixir Furnace has been emitting heat ever since we entered the ancient battlefield.”
Su Zimo received the Elixir Furnace and touched it.
Indeed, the Elixir Furnace was giving off a faint heat that was not too obvious.
This was the Elixir Furnace was the source of their feud with True Fire Sect back in the capital of Great Zhou.
Ever since Xiaoning obtained that Elixir Furnace, she was able to focus with ease and reach her peak performance for elixir refinement!
Back then, Su Zimo had already sensed that this Elixir Furnace had an extremely powerful background.
From the looks of it, there was a high chance that this Elixir Furnace had something to do with the ancient battlefield!
Returning the Elixir Furnace to Xiaoning, he asked, “Other than emit heat, is there anything else strange about it?”
“Strange...”
Su Xiaoning pondered for a moment before replying, “I haven’t been sleeping well for the past few days. It feels as though there’s something imperceptibly reaching out to me. Does that count?”
Su Zimo’s heart skipped a beat as he asked, “Can you sense what direction it’s reaching out to you from?”
“That way!”
Su Xiaoning pointed to the south with a firm tone.
Nodding in reply, Su Zimo formed a plan.
Since he was already planning on checking out the depths of the ancient battlefield, he might as well head along the direction that Xiaoning pointed out to see if he could uncover the secret behind the ancient Elixir Furnace.
For the next 10 odd days, Su Zimo stayed in the last stone chamber alone for a couple of days after repairing the array formations outside before summoning everyone to the hall of the cave abode.
“I plan to leave this place and check out the depths of the ancient battlefield.”
Su Zimo made a casual glance at Jun Hao after saying that; the latter’s emotions could not be read.
Ji Yaoxue and Su Xiaoning knew about this matter beforehand and naturally did not have much of a reaction. However, the others had varying reactions.
Si Yutang was the first to leap out and object. “I’m definitely not going. Before entering the ancient battlefield, many seniors have advised me countless times not to enter the depths of the ancient battlefield. I’m not going to join your death wish.”
“Mr. Mo, we have the terrain advantage here and the protection of the formations. Now that we’ve already obtained the Meridian Unlocking Elixirs, we can just cultivate here in seclusion. There’s no need for us to take the risk of exploring deep into the ancient battlefield.”
A Great Zhou guard frowned and shook his head as well.
“Brother Zimo is strong and he’s able to protect himself even in the depths of the ancient battlefield.”
Jun Hao stood up and sighed regrettably. “However, it’s a pity that my strength is limited so I can’t join you.”
Su Zimo looked at Jun Hao silently with a fake smile before turning to the other cultivators.
Ji Chengtian said in a deep voice, “Zimo, I’ll join you!”
“Bro, me too!” Little fatty stood out hurriedly.
Leng Rou nodded to Su Zimo as well.
Shrugging, Shi Jian said with a silly smile, “I’ll join you guys too.”
Another Great Zhou guard frowned with a stern expression. “Everyone, you have to think this through properly. It is much more dangerous in the depths of the ancient battlefield than the borders. Every step will be filled with danger and you’ll most likely die! The cultivators there are at least at six meridian Foundation Establishment!”
Another person added, “That’s right! If you encounter a successor of one of the top factions, they can kill you guys singlehandedly! For the past thousands of years, there has never been a cultivator who had entered the depths of the ancient battlefield and returned alive!”
Su Zimo cupped his fists. “Thank you for your reminders, fellow Daoists, but I have already decided.”
In truth, everyone from Ethereal Peak knew that it was more dangerous deeper into the ancient battlefield.
However, danger and opportunity was correlated!
Furthermore, there was something more important for Ji Chengtian and the others.
Before entering the ancient battlefield, the two peak masters, Liu Hui and Xuan Yi, had already hinted to them that they should search for alternative tunnels to leave the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Tianhuang North Region!
Before long, Ji Chengtian, Leng Rou, little fatty, Xiaoning, Shi Jian and Night Spirit arrived behind Su Zimo. The team of 11 people were now left with Ji Yaoxue and two Great Zhou guards along with Jun Hao and Si Yutang.
“I’ve already repaired the array formations outside and there are sufficient stone chambers. You guys can split up to cultivate.”
Su Zimo gazed deeply at Ji Yaoxue before leaving with Xiaoning and the rest.
After Su Zimo and the others left, Ji Yaoxue said indifferently in a dejected manner, “I’ll be cultivating in seclusion from today on. Nobody should enter my cultivation chamber.”
With that said, she walked towards the stone chamber at the end of the fifth tunnel.
There were five stone chambers in total and Si Yutang chose one of them to begin his long cultivation as well.
Jun Hao gazed at Ji Yaoxue’s back view and a cold glint flashed through his eyes as he smirked.
...
After leaving the place, Su Zimo checked against the map and led everyone south.
With Su Zimo and Night Spirit around, the journey was still relatively safe.
However, as they ventured deeper, even Su Zimo was feeling a gradual sense of pressure.
The strength of the ferocious beasts they encountered was getting stronger and they were even ambushed by some other cultivators a couple of times. Apart from Su Zimo, almost everyone else was injured.
Although they were of the same cultivation realm, the six meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivators they encountered in the depths of the ancient battlefield were much stronger than those at the borders.
Even Ji Chengtian was beaten in a one-on-one fight despite possessing Ethereal Peak’s three major secret skills.
As for Su Zimo, the pressure on him was mounting.
He could ensure the safety of the six of them at the borders of the ancient battlefield.
But now, he could only ensure two at most!
They continued on the road for 10 days with barely any time to cultivate.
Even though their cultivation realms were similar to before, Ji Chengtian and the others experienced significant growth in their strength due to the intense battles and brushes with death in those 10 days.
That was a transformation that cultivation in seclusion could never achieve.
10 days later, an ancient city appeared on the horizon close to evening, as if an ancient beast was sprawled there.
That was a place indicated on the map as a gathering spot, named Xuantian City.
Cities that were left behind in the ancient battlefield were usually the biggest gathering spots where cultivators of all factions gathered.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.
They were worn out physically and mentally after being on the road for 10 days. Apart from Su Zimo who was still brimming with energy without any signs of fatigue, the others bore injuries and were already at their limits.
If they could not find a place to settle down before the sky turned dark, that would have been an arduous night for them.
Along the way, Ji Chengtian and the others gradually viewed Su Zimo with increasing curiosity and respect.
Be it at the borders of the ancient battlefield or deep inside, nobody could read Su Zimo’s limits.
That seemingly frail body of his seemed to possess limitless energy and his vigor and endurance were shocking!
The few of them knew that if not for Su Zimo, they would have died on the journey before they even saw Xuantian City.
Chapter 360: Obstruction
North gate of Xuantian City.
As the sky gradually darkened, there were almost no cultivators crossing the city gates by now. Anyone who dared to leave the city at this time was either fools who didn’t know their places or peerless experts who were confident in their cultivation!
By the time Su Zimo and the others arrived at the city gates, two cultivators were pushing the tall and thick stone doors shut slowly.
“Fellow Daoists, please hold on!”
Su Zimo shouted hurriedly.
If he wanted to enter the city, Su Zimo could burst forth with Ethereal Wings or Divine Steed Fleeting and make it through the gates before it closed.
However, Ji Chengtian and the others could not do so.
The few of them were physically and mentally exhausted after the battles along the way. There was no way they had energy left given their injuries.
The moment Su Zimo said that, the stone door paused for a moment as the two cultivators at the city gates looked towards him with a slight frown.
To them, the group of six looked worn out. Apart from their leader, the green-robed cultivator, who looked normal, the others were in a wretched state.
Furthermore, they could not see Su Zimo’s group wearing sect badges or anything that could reveal their identities.
In the ancient battlefield, successors and disciples of the top factions of Tianhuang Mainland would naturally not bother to conceal their identities.
Many a time, those people could do whatever they want and save themselves trouble just by revealing their identity badges.
The two cultivators guarding the city gates had seen many people like Su Zimo’s group who did not carry any identification – they were either itinerant cultivators or disciples of some ordinary sect or faction.
The two of them exchanged glances and smirked before continuing to close the stone doors together, as if they had not heard anything.
All of a sudden!
The sound of clothes fluttering through the air echoed and the wind howled as though a tsunami was gushing.
Arriving in the blink of an eye, the two of them turned over instinctively and their pupils constricted.
Unknowingly, the green-robed cultivator who was initially far away had already arrived at the city gates, pushing against the stone doors with his arms spread wide.
No matter how the two of them pushed, the stone door would not budge!
The green-robed cultivator seemed to possess infinite strength as he stood like an unshakable spirit, glaring at the two of them coldly in front of the city gates.
“You... ”
Gulping, the two of them looked on with panic.
“Why are you closing the door!”
Su Zimo asked slowly, his voice icy cold.
Rejecting them outside the gates before night descended was no different from killing them!
In the night, Su Zimo could only struggle to save himself against countless ferocious beasts and ancient living beings – the rest would definitely die!
“What are you doing?!”
One of them asked sternly.
Su Zimo did not reply and shook his arms. With a loud rumble, the two stone doors vibrated violently and dust rustled.
Instantly, the two cultivators were alarmed and felt their hands go numb, letting go instinctively. They stumbled a few steps backwards and nearly fell to the ground.
“Audacious!”
They yelled and withdrew flying swords from their storage bags. Glaring at Su Zimo cautiously, they were prepared to strike at any moment.
Su Zimo’s expression was unchanged as he clenched his fists.
In that time, Ji Chengtian and the others had arrived at the city gates, panting and looking pale.
“Zimo, forget it. We’re new to Xuantian City and know nothing about this place, let’s not cause trouble. Furthermore, it’s fine now that we’re already inside the city.”
During this period of interaction, Ji Chengtian and the others had some understanding of Su Zimo’s personality as well.
Xuantian City was a motley place with unknown experts and strong factions hidden within; Ji Chengtian was worried that Su Zimo would attract big trouble by standing up for them!
Su Zimo nodded and glanced at the two cultivators indifferently.
Their hearts skipped a beat.
They could sense a violent killing intent through Su Zimo’s gaze!
“This is someone who can just injure anyone at any moment without hesitation!”
The same thought fluttered through their minds as they watched Su Zimo’s group leave, not daring to stop them.
Ji Chengtian and the others were tense the entire time as well, afraid that something unexpected might happen and cause trouble.
They only heaved a sigh of relief after the two cultivators guarding the gates let them pass silently.
There were quite a number of cultivators in Xuantian City and ancient buildings stood on both sides of the streets, most of the residences occupied by many cultivators.
Su Zimo’s group attracted the gazes of many cultivators as they walked through the city.
“There’s a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator in that group of six? How did they manage to get to Xuantian City alive?”
“It’s no use even if they’re inside the city. I reckon that the six of them won’t survive for more than three days.”
“Xuantian City is no friendly place. Without strong backing, they can only be subjected to being slaughtered by others like fish on a chopping board.”
As those cultivators discussed, more than 10 cultivators came down from the city walls. Their leader was a tall and burly man whose clothes exposed his hairy chest and carried a fierce gaze.
“It’s already past 7pm and you haven’t closed the city gates? Are you two tired of living?”
The burly cultivator’s voice was rough and he spoke like a ruffian.
Su Zimo’s group was still nearby.
When they heard that voice, Ji Chengtian and the others were stunned and their hearts sank.
A cultivator shook his head with pursed lips when he saw this, smiling. “Three days? There’s no way the six of them can leave now that he has appeared.”
“That’s right. The few of them are already at the end of their road given their injuries through their arduous journey. There’s no way that man is going to let go of these lambs that are ripe for the slaughter.”
“Who is that man?” Someone asked.
“He’s the right hand man of the Four Mounted Bandits, Chou Wanli! Even though he’s only at six meridian Foundation Establishment, he is skilled in corporal mortification martial arts and is extremely strong with a vengeful bloodthirst! There’s few people who are willing to provoke him at the north gate of Xuantian City!”
“The Four Mounted Bandits... Psst!”
Many cultivators were shocked when they heard that, shutting their mouths and gasping in secret.
City gates.
The two cultivators were so scared that their bodies shivered as they hurriedly pointed towards the back of Su Zimo’s group. “It’s them! We were about to shut the city gates when the six of them barged in!”
“Hmm?”
Chou Wanli turned towards Su Zimo’s group as a violent glint flashed in his eyes.
If everyone else could tell that Su Zimo’s group was weak after traveling, it was only natural that Chou Wanli’s burning eyes could tell the same.
He recognized their weakness with a single glance.
“The six of you up front, stop right there!”
Chou Wanli hollered and charged murderously towards Su Zimo’s group with more than 10 other cultivators.
Ji Chengtian and the others sighed internally and could only stop and turn back.
Initially, Su Zimo was walking right at the front. After they turned around, he was already behind them.
Su Zimo was about to advance when Ji Chengtian held him back and whispered, “Zimo, don’t be reckless. Let’s see what this man wants. It’ll be best if we don’t have to fight.”
“That’s right, bro. Judging from the cultivators around us, this guy seems to have a powerful background. Let’s try not to fight him head-on,” Little fatty whispered as well with sweat dripping down his forehead.
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