Archean Eon Art c1-766
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Chapter 664 - The Ice River in the Nebula
It had been 280 years since Meng Chuan came to Holy Mountain of Painting.
Meng Chuan looked at the painting on the huge canvas and shook his head slightly. He waved his hand and wiped the painting away before sighing.
He stood up and waved his hand to put away the drawing board, brush, and other items. Meng Chuan walked out of the chamber, took a step forward, flew toward Holy Mountain of Painting, and approached the mountain wall.
As he flew, Meng Chuan looked at the huge paintings up close. I feel like I’ve accumulated enough insights, but I still can’t figure out the spatial law. Meng Chuan was rather vexed. He had long grasped the spatial law’s three tenets. He had studied the six paintings of the Chaos Hole law on Holy Mountain of Painting countless times. He had even tried painting the other paintings. He often felt that he had gained new insights, but the many insights he had gained couldn’t result in qualitative changes. He was unable to figure out a complete spatial law.
It felt very close, but also extremely distant. This feeling of being stuck at a bottleneck was very uncomfortable.
“It’s like seeing the moon’s reflection in the water. I can see it but not touch it,” muttered Meng Chuan softly. “It’s time to go to the next cultivation ground.”
Among the nine cultivation grounds in his plan, Holy Mountain of Painting was second. Perhaps a new cultivation ground could help
him.
Whoosh.
After landing, he waved his hand and put away his cave abode. Following that, Meng Chuan flew toward Evodia mystic realm’s exit. “City Lord Eastcalm, are you leaving already?” Master Poison Eye-who had refined Evodia mystic realm and was in charge of guarding it -appeared beside him.
“My cultivation has reached a bottleneck. It’s time to leave,” said Meng Chuan.
“As an Essence Soul Tribulation Eminence, you have many Essence Soul avatars. It might be better to leave an Essence Soul avatar here to observe and study,” said Poison Eye with a smile.
“There’s no need.” Meng Chuan shook his head. “I’ll come again.”
He decided to stop looking at the paintings temporarily. He would study them when his insights deepened. After all, according to his plan, he had to focus on cultivation in every corner of the nine cultivation grounds.
“Senior Poison Eye, farewell.” Meng Chuan glanced at the master. Poison Eye could be considered the most ruthless person to fight Black Fiend Hall among the current Sixth Tribulation Eminences. With his peak Sixth Tribulation strength and Essence Soul avatars’ means, he made Black Fiend Hall suffer a huge loss.
Ine
Black Fiend Hall also attempted to exact revenge numerous times, causing Poison Eye to suffer many injuries that were not easily treatable. It was said that his lifespan had been greatly reduced because of this. After grasping the lepton law, Meng Chuan’s senses became a lot sharper. He vaguely felt that Poison Eye wasn’t too far from the end of his lifespan. Although Sixth Tribulation Eminences had their homeworld’s protection-making it very difficult for them to die few in the outer realm dared to oppose Black Fiend Hall. Meng Chuan was filled with admiration for Master Poison Eye’s deeds.
Poison Eye smiled and nodded as he watched Meng Chuan leave.
Holy Mountain of Painting.
Master Poison Eye turned to look at the distant mountain. Typically, one could be considered a top Sixth Tribulation Eminence if they grasped two Sixth Tribulation laws. Master Poison Eye had long grasped three Sixth Tribulation laws. I don’t have much time left. I have to grasp an Origin law and transform my Essence Soul World before I can expel the forces in me. However, grasping an Origin law is too difficult. Poison Eye sighed gently and took a step back to his tiny cave abode to continue cultivating. He had already been to the cultivation grounds he could go to. He had also tried the opportunities available to him. It was even harder for him to improve after cultivating for so long.
Ice River Nebula was third in the nine cultivation grounds that Meng Chuan had chosen. Meng Chuan crossed one river system after another, traveling faster than he usually did in the River of Spacetime. Meng Chuan appeared in a dark void and looked at the resplendent nebula in the distance.
Ice River Nebula. Meng Chuan looked over.
This was a rather vast nebula. The nebula was gorgeous and beautiful. With Meng Chuan’s means, he could vaguely see a river in the nebula’s depths, but he couldn’t see it clearly.
I heard that Ice River Nebula is where a mysterious Eighth Tribulation Eminence’s cave abode is. Meng Chuan knew that this place was very special.
Some special places in the River of Spacetime were occupied by various factions. For example, studying Holy Mountain of Painting required 10,000 Outer Realm Essence Crystals as the entry fee.
However, some places weren’t occupied. For example, no one dared to monopolize Fiend Mountain. But the various factions limited the spread of information because the danger was too great. For example, no one wanted to monopolize Ice River Nebula because it was unnecessary. Ice River Nebula is very special. Once one enters the nebula, they will be lost. They won’t be able to walk out of it, nor will they be able to reach the Ice River. Only by grasping a spatial law will they be unaffected by the nebula. They can step into the Ice River, but they still won’t be able to step into the palace located in the Ice River. It’s said that one has to grasp the laws of time and space before they can step into the palace.
I’ll give it a try. With a thought, Meng Chuan immediately produced an Essence Soul avatar.
He didn’t plan on coming out alive upon entry. Hence, he naturally sent an Essence Soul avatar that didn’t carry any treasures.
Whoosh.
Meng Chuan’s outer realm true body watched from afar. The black-robed, white-haired Essence Soul avatar flew into the vast nebula.
Without any obstruction, Meng Chuan easily flew into the nebula.
How beautiful. Meng Chuan flew in the nebula.
Swoosh!
Without any warning, Meng Chuan was teleported from the nebula’s periphery to the nebula’s depths.
This nebula has teleported me here? Meng Chuan was somewhat astonished as he attempted to continue flying. After flying for a while, the transformed nebula void allowed Meng Chuan to appear hundreds of billions of kilometers away.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish…
Meng Chuan kept flying towards the core, but he appeared in different locations at random. He couldn’t control himself at all. After flying for more than an hour, his position in the nebula was still changing constantly.
I’ll try to approach the ice river.
The closer one was to the ice river, the greater the void’s influence. Therefore, the closer one was to the ice river, the higher one’s attainments in the void would be. This was especially so for the area 5,000 kilometers around the ice river. The void’s influence was especially terrifying.
I’ll give it a try. Disperse.
Meng Chuan split into a lepton cluster.
The lepton cluster spread out. With his strength, he could easily maintain his consciousness even when the lepton cluster spread to a range of half a trillion kilometers.
But this time, a portion of the lepton cluster was teleported away the moment it spread out, causing the lepton cluster’s original structure to be destroyed.
Pfft.
The lepton cluster portion that had been teleported far away dissipated immediately due to what little they had.
The lepton cluster that remained immediately fused together and condensed into the black-robed, white-haired Meng Chuan.
A small piece of my Essence Soul avatar was sliced off? Meng Chuan blinked. With his Essence Soul’s recovery speed, he naturally recovered instantly. The lepton law is useless here. I still have to rely on the spatial law to gain insights. Meng Chuan released his Essence Soul World and spread it out to envelop his surroundings. He could clearly sense the changes in
the void. Meng Chuan had long grasped the three tenets of the spatial law. After painting for so many years, he had a clearer understanding of the spatial law, so Meng Chuan vaguely discovered some patterns from the nebula void’s changes.
Whoosh.
With a single step, Meng Chuan advanced greatly. Another step…
Although there were occasional mistakes, Meng Chuan arrived within 1,500 kilometers from the ice river in ten minutes.
Being able to come within 1,500 kilometers means that my insights into the spatial law isn’t bad. Meng Chuan smiled and carefully observed the ice river. He could clearly see the ice river from 1,500 kilometers away. This was a river that stretched for hundreds of thousands of kilometers with no end in sight.
The river water was light green.
Above the water were floating icebergs. The smaller icebergs were about dozens of kilometers tall, while the taller ones were over 500 kilometers tall. Icebergs slowly floated in the river, never stopping.
Meng Chuan could see corpses inside the thin floating icebergs.
According to Eternal Tower’s intelligence, there’s an ice river in the nebula’s depths. There are ice mountains on the ice river, and there’s a corpse in every ice mountain. Meng Chuan calmly observed and carefully stared into the distance. Legend has it that there is a palace deep in the ice river.
Chapter 665 - A Deal
Nothing in the ice river could be destroyed.
Even Seventh Tribulation Eminences couldn’t chip off a corner of the iceberg even when using all their strength. They couldn’t scoop away any of its water either.
One can’t obtain any treasures here, nor are there any cultivation opportunities. One can’t leave once they enter. Therefore, no factions occupy this place. Meng Chuan smiled. Essence Soul Tribulation Eminences could casually send an Essence Soul avatar to probe this place, but Physical Body Tribulation Eminences couldn’t do so.
I’ve broadened my horizons. Time to focus on cultivation.
Meng Chuan focused on walking through the nebula and carefully sensed the changes in the nebula’s void. His Essence Soul World spread out, and he used the spatial law’s profundities to resist the influence of the nebula’s void. He tried his best to walk toward the ice river.
1,500 kilometers, 1,400 kilometers, 1,350 kilometers…
He was getting closer and closer. Occasionally, he would fail and be teleported hundreds of billions of kilometers away, but Meng Chuan persisted.
Meng Chuan nodded slightly. This place suits me quite well.
The Ice River Nebula didn’t have a spatial law guiding it. It was just an array formation set up by a mysterious Eighth Tribulation Eminence to prevent outsiders from approaching. The array formation’s might was stronger in the vicinity of the ice river’s palace.
However, Meng Chuan had already accumulated a lot of insights. To him, he didn’t need guidance. He had enough guidance from the Void Catalog. Instead, he needed to crack the Nebula Array Formation so that he could familiarize himself with the use of the spatial law’s profundities. Meng Chuan’s understanding of the spatial law became
Meng Chuan focused on his cultivation. Meanwhile, on a Supreme Yin Star in the distant Square Razor-Clam River Zone.
There was a somewhat hidden cave abode here. The cave abode spanned half a million kilometers, and it was also protected by large array formations. Even a Fifth Tribulation Eminence would die if they entered by mistake.
In a corner of the cave abode was a large cluster of circular buildings. Each circular building spanned over 100 feet. These circular buildings were where the Imperial Lords lived.
An Imperial Lord lived in every building.
These Imperial Lords had different appearances. They came from different worlds and were of different species, but they now had a common identity-servants of Black Fiend Hall.
“There’s still 188 years left.” In one of the circular buildings, a red-robed cultivator with a large head and a small body sat cross-legged. On his huge head, three eyes narrowed slightly. “I’ll be able to regain my freedom after serving Black Fiend Hall for 1,000 years. I only have 188 years left before I regain my freedom.”
“Black Fiend Hall sure is greedy. I’m required to pay 200 Outer Realm Essence Crystals and still have to serve them for 1,000 years without any compensation. They won’t give us any benefits during these 1,000 years. However, they keep their promises. As long as we serve them loyally, they won’t take away my remaining treasures.”
The red-robed cultivator was rather glad.
Black Fiend Hall was willing to give the Imperial Lords a way out during the massacres because they needed some minions to carry out their large-scale operations. Otherwise, many cultivators would flee from the bustling trading planets. Without enough subordinates, it would be difficult for them to set up enough array formations. Most cultivators would be able to escape.
By not taking away the Imperial Lord’s remaining treasures, this would give them hope. All of Black Fiend Hall’s members had to stick to this rule. Otherwise, the captured Imperial Lords wouldn’t be loyal to them. They would rather self-destruct and destroy their outer realm true bodies.
Some of Black Fiend Hall members also broke the rules and plundered all the treasures that the Imperial Lords had after they served for 1,000 years. It was fine if such matters could be kept completely confidential, but Black Fiend Hall would severely punish them once it was exposed. It would be difficult for them to do anything in the River of Spacetime. Therefore, Black Fiend Hall members would not break the rules without sufficient temptation and special reasons.
If it weren’t for the sake of protecting this treasure, why would I be willing to be a servant for 1,000 years? The red-robed cultivator sensed the treasure in his storage space.
It was a picture. It was also the greatest opportunity he received while roaming the outer realm. After obtaining the map, his strength improved greatly. He planned on returning to his homeworld with the map and placing the treasure there. However, he was too slow. With his strength, it would take him more than 300 years to cross several river systems and return to his homeworld. Halfway through his journey, he encountered Black Fiend Hall’s array formation. Black Fiend Hall had set up an inescapable net in the outer realm in the corresponding area in the River of Spacetime. He happened to barge in and became a captive.
All these years, I’ve never dared to use this treasure. Bear with it a little longer. The red-robed cultivator’s three eyes were extremely cold.
In the past, he had killed and plundered as he pleased. In his homeworld, he was the only Imperial Lord. Who knew that he would become a captive? He had had enough of these stifling days.
These Imperial Lord servants were putting up with it because Black Fiend Hall had given them hope.
Three figures sat in the garden in the middle of the cave abode.
“The owner of Changpo Planet traded with us and is willing to offer Changpo Planet.”
“I never expected this old fellow to sell out the tens of thousands of cultivators on Changpo Planet when he’s nearing the end of his lifespan. I think he’s more suitable to join our Black Fiend Hall.”
“He has zero worries when nearing the end of his lifespan. It’s normal for him to take the opportunity to earn a big sum of money. However, the tens of thousands of cultivators he’s selling out come from an Eternal Tower branch.
“However, the Eternal Tower branch can contact its headquarters. Once we attack or the old fellow on Changpo Planet hands things over, Eternal Tower’s headquarters will immediately receive news. We have to be certain that no Sixth Tribulation Eminence will rush over to stop us.” “The owner of Changpo Planet offered it to us with both hands. Who’s going to be a busybody?” “Slaughtering tens of thousands of cultivators. This matter has to be reported. Only if the higher-ups agree can we do it.”
“Black Fiend Hall has too many rules.”
“Fool, the rules protect your life.”
&n
bsp; After a brief discussion, they quickly reported the matter.
Almost all Sixth and Seventh Tribulation Eminences were members of Nebula Palace. Be it good or evil, Nebula Palace didn’t reject anyone.
Black Fiend Hall members also occupied an area in Nebula Palace.
In one of the halls.
“There’s news from Square Razor-Clam River Zone. Cave Lord Changpo wants to sell the entire Changpo Planet to us, including the tens of thousands of cultivators on it. Check if it’s possible.”
“There are eight Sixth Tribulation Eminences in the area around Square Razor-Clam River Zone. According to Eternal Tower’s standard operating procedures, they will inform these eight… The other seven are nothing. They are all Sixth Tribulation Eminences that have cultivated for many years. There’s no reason for them to not take action easily.
“We should be worried about a newly-advanced Sixth Tribulation Eminence, City Lord Eastcalm, instead. He has an Essence Soul avatar in Taidong River Zone. Taidong River Zone is close to Square Razor-Clam River Zone. Eternal Tower will likely issue him the mission. Not long ago, he attacked and killed one of our Black Fiend Hall teams.”
“How many times has he stopped our Black Fiend Hall?”
“Just once.”
The five Sixth Tribulation Eminences guarding the hall flipped through the intelligence. The purple-robed man found the relevant piece of intelligence and nodded. “Pass down the orders. We can accept this transaction.”
“What if City Lord Eastcalm attacks again?” A gray-robed woman frowned.
“He has nothing to do with Ingenious Dharma Planet and Changpo Planet. For him to stop us twice in such a short period of time means that he has deep enmity towards our Black Fiend Hall. Furthermore, it would mean extreme boldness,” said the purple-robed man indifferently. “We should take action and teach this City Lord Eastcalm the rules.”
The other members nodded.
Although Black Fiend Hall was infamous, they followed the rules. They typically wouldn’t attack a Sixth Tribulation Eminence’s faction directly.