Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294

by Flying Alone 孤单地飞

  Killing Bo Yong Feng in one move, everyone obviously assumed that Ling Han was a Spiritual Ocean Tier expert; based on his age, this was already an overestimation.

  “Let’s go,” Ling Han said to Hu Niu.

  “Yes!” Hu Niu agreed in a clear and bright voice, following behind Ling Han.

  Everyone could only watch them go, and only after Ling Han left did they realize their backs were covered in cold sweat. They hurriedly dispersed in an uproar. Bo Family’s young master was killed, so they obviously had to spread the news out; otherwise, if the murderer escaped, the Bo Family might take their anger out on them.

  “Sister, I just realized, I actually can’t see through this guy’s cultivation!” Liu Ru Er suddenly said.

  Liu Feng Er also nodded, and said, “I’m already at the Spiritual Ocean Tier, but I still can’t see through Young Master Han’s cultivation. Could it be…”

  The sisters looked at each other and said simultaneously, “The Spiritual Pedestal Tier!”

  “That’s impossible, Young Master Han’s only so old; two years ago, he was still just at the Element Gathering Tier. How could he now be at the Spiritual Pedestal Tier?” Yun Shuang Shuang said in disbelief.

  “That’s right.” The sisters shook their heads; this was certainly too ridiculous.

  “Aiya, we have to go. Bo Yong Feng died here, and if the investigation leads to us, we’re doomed.” The Liu sisters left hastily; they were fugitives.

  …

  Ling Han and Hu Niu strolled about. Their next target was fifteen thousand meters east of the Imperial City, the mineshaft which had been exploited thousands of years ago. It had some strange metal ores, but due to an ominous accident, the mineshaft had been sealed long ago. Only in the recent half a year was it reopened.

  Very soon, Ling Han discovered pursuers behind them, but he didn’t pay attention to it. In the small Fire Country, no one could pose a threat to him.

  After exiting the city gates, he and Hu Niu continued east, and immediately saw a crimson red mist that covered the sky; it was impenetrable even with Ling Han’s eyesight.

  “Hmm?” Ling Han was slightly surprised.

  “There, very not good, not good!” Hu Niu shook her head and revealed a vigilant expression.

  Even Hu Niu said so!

  Ling Han was even more shocked; Hu Niu feared nothing in heaven or earth. At that time, she skipped and jumped about inside the Demonic Qi, but now she actually showed fear. Apparently, this mineshaft was truly something more than met the eye.

  Looks like he somewhat underestimated Na Zhi Yan.

  Clearly knowing that people died here every day, he was still bent on excavating. Could some treasure be buried within the mine? However, looking at the pervasive crimson Qi, this probably wasn’t a treasure, but an ominous thing instead.

  A greatly ominous thing!

  “Even more so a reason to go see it.” Ling Han nodded. His parents and family were all here; he was afraid that something similar to that of a Thousand Corpse Sect conspiracy would happen, making the entire desolate north a land of the dead; the lurking perils had to be eliminated.

  “Niu Niu, want to enter the Black Tower first?” Ling Han asked.

  Hu Niu bit on her finger, thinking, and said, “No need for now!”

  In other words, when they really entered the mineshaft, or stayed there for too long, even Hu Niu would possibly not be able to endure it.

  Ling Han became even more vigilant, but fortunately, those who entered the mineshaft suddenly died only on the second day they came out; so as long as it wasn’t instant death, he could enter the Black Tower and invoke its power to resist whatever threat that would be.

  He and Hu NIu walked towards the mineshaft, but more and more people tailed them and were becoming bolder, no longer in fear of being discovered by Ling Han.

  When they almost arrived at the mineshaft, ten people caught up to them.

  “Halt!” a middle-aged man yelled loudly and caught up in a few large strides. His face was ashen and killing intent filled his gaze.

  He was Bo Wen Lin—Bo Yong Feng’s father—and had the cultivation of the seventh layer of the Spiritual Ocean Tier. After being informed that his son was killed by someone, he immediately came out chasing.

  “Killed my son, and still want to walk away from it?” he said, clenching his teeth.

  “So what do you want?” Ling Han said indifferently.

  Out to kill, Bo Wen Lin’s said fiercely, “A life for a life!”

  Ling Han shook his head and said, “If you attack, then it’ll be the death of father and son! I’ll give you a chance: leave now. If you attack me, then you’ll be seeking your own death.”

  He turned and continued to walk towards the mineshaft.

  Being glanced at by Ling Han, Bo Wen Lin instantly felt a terrible chill well up inside his heart, not daring to attack. He clenched his fists and watched Ling Han go into the distance, involuntarily revealing a grim smile.

  Everyone knew that entering the mine meant certain death. Well, although he couldn’t personally take revenge, the most important thing was the result.

  He stared at Ling Han to confirm that Ling Han entered the mine and didn’t just pretend to do so, taking the chance to slip away.

  Chapter 521

  Translator: Reverie_ Editor: Kurisu

  The mineshaft was heavily surrounded by guards—not to stop people from entering, but to prevent people from escaping.

  …After knowing what this place was, who would run in on their own accord? Every day, many people were detained and escorted here, temporarily staying here; after the previous group of miners died, the new bunch would obviously be sent down.

  Those who refused to go down? Immediately beheaded!

  Under the heavy pressure, even if they could only live for a few days, many people wanted to bet their luck—maybe they would be an exception and not die?

  To prevent the escape of the miners who temporarily lived here, a tall wall was erected, piled up from heavy rocks; it definitely couldn’t be dug through by normal people. It was like the great wall, reaching sixty five meters, and just as hard to leap over.

  Moreover, guards patrolled underneath the tall wall; escaping was as hard as climbing the skies.

  Of course, this was all with regards to normal people.

  Ling Han and Hu Niu leapt up, arriving on the other side of the tall wall.

  “Who are you guys?” a guard immediately asked as seven spears pointed towards them simultaneously.

  “Let them in.” Bo Wen Lin appeared. He stood on the tall wall in the distance. Once Ling Han entered the mineshaft, he would help along the way… the enemy wanted to suicide, so he obviously wouldn’t mind giving it a push.

  After all, he couldn’t see through Ling Han, who gave him a sense of extreme danger. Thus, he didn’t want to fend against Ling Han head on.

  “Yes, Lord Bo!” the guards replied at once.

  Their duty was to stop miners from escaping. Someone wanted to go in? No matter, they’d die the second day after coming out anyway.

  Ling Han surveyed the area. Ahead was a large-scale mineshaft in the open, with interlocked adits unearthing downwards continuously, unfathomably deep. Even having dug so deep, water didn’t come out from the bottom.

  Looking from here, not even a single miner could be seen; apparently, they’d already entered the depths of the mineshaft.

  Threads of crimson red gas rose up from within the mineshaft and stopped when they reached three to a thousand to two thousand meters up, forming a giant red cloud.

  Hu Niu bared her teeth to reveal a fierce look, appearing quite anxious.

  Ling Han didn’t dare to be careless, yet took large strides towards the mineshaft. When Ling Han’s figure disappeared at the edge of the mineshaft, Bo Wen Lin revealed a cold smile. Now Ling Han was dead for sure… unless he stayed inside the mineshaft his entire life.

  But was he able not to eat and drink?

&
nbsp; Ling Han entered the mining area. Underneath his feet was loosened soil. Crimson red soil wasn’t a rare sight, but here it was ridiculously scarlet, as if dyed in blood. Especially when there was red gas rising continuously, appearing extremely eerie.

  “I sense an ill omen,” Ling Han said; this was based on pure instinct.

  “Yes!” Hu Niu nodded emphatically.

  The two continued to advance. They could fly physically, but didn’t choose to do so. The soil and rocks here all gave Ling Han an extremely strange feeling. He picked up a few rocks and some soil to store it into the Black Tower, then took Hu Niu inside as well.

  “Small Tower, can you see anything special about these things?” Ling Han asked.

  Small Tower appeared and said, “Cursed soil. People who don’t have a strong enough natal horoscope will die soon after contact.”

  “Cursed?” Ling Han was astounded, he had never heard of this type of power. Could it be that cursing someone to die was not just in speech, but could truly make someone die? And natal horoscope, what was that?

  “Curse is also a type of power derived from the great dao. It’s ceaseless and can manifest itself in various ways,” Small Tower said leisurely.

  “So I’m also affected by the curse now?” Ling Han asked.

  “Yes, stepping on the cursed land, you obviously suffered from the curse, but your natal horoscope is very tough, so you won’t die… at least you won’t die from this amount. This level of cursed power is something I can easily neutralize,” Small Tower said.

  “And what’s that natal horoscope?” Ling Han asked again.

  Small Tower swayed a little and said, “Why do you have so many questions?”

  “Ask when you don’t know, this is a good habit,” Ling Han said smilingly.

  “Natal horoscope, destined at birth, is influencing your fate to a great degree,” Small Tower said. “In your two lives, your natal horoscopes are the same, making it possible to fuse two souls, and not making it just a simple possession.”

  “Elaborate.” Ling Han suddenly became interested.

  “I don’t have the interest to satisfy your curiosity!” Small Tower immediately became haughty. “Although there isn’t much cursed power contained in the soil, to reach such a degree simply from it overflowing, a cursed tool or a person with special natal horoscope is definitely buried underneath the land, forming the cursed power.”

  “What about Hu NIu, would she be effected?” Ling Han asked again.

  “This little girl’s natal horoscope is too special. I can’t see through her if I don’t use the power of origin source,” Small Tower said dully.

  Ling Han finally dropped his worries and exited the Black Tower with Hu Niu, continuning onwards.

  What Na Zhi Yan and Fire Emperor conspired… could it be for the cursed tool within the mining area? No one would steal dead people, unless it was the Thousand Corpse Sect.

  The two treaded on slightly wet land and walked downwards. It was like a bowl—the further out, the wider it was, and the further in, the narrower it was. As they ventured deeper, the surroundings became dimmer, and if it weren’t for Ling Han and Hu Niu’s extraordinary eyesight, they’d probably be blind with open eyes.

  However, going down another stretch of the road, the flicker of torches could be seen. In such darkness, one couldn’t possibly mine ores after all.

  Seeing Ling Han’s carefree look, with a little girl on the side pulling on the hems of his clothes, a few miners revealed an expression of disbelief and began to doubt their eyes, wondering whether it was an illusion or not.

  Ling Han’s gaze swept by. He only saw that these people’s faces were numb all over. After they entered here, they were equivalent to dead men, so who would still be composed?

  “Food! Food!” When they saw the dried meat in Hu Niu’s hands, their gazes lit up, as if they were travelers seeing an oasis in the desert. Rushing over, they looked like they were going to forcibly take it.

  Ling Han was amused; a few normal people wanted to rob him and Hu Niu?

  Hu NIu was most protective of her food, and immediately revealed a vicious glare—they dared to rob her food?

  Ling Han pulled on Hu Niu and said with a smile, “Want food? Sure, but answer a few questions.” He waved his finger and immediately left a deep mark on a rock, frightening the miners into an immediate halt.

  Those people stared at the dried meat in Hu Niu’s hands, drooling as they asked, “What do you want to know?”

  “The situation here, tell me all you guys know.”

  Those people looked at each other and nodded, beginning to talk one after another.

  They were sent here seven days ago and brought two days’ worth of food and water into the mine. If they wanted to acquire more food, they could only do their best to mine ore, and use the ores to exchange for food; however, the ores were very rare here, so they all looked hungry as wolves, almost cannibalizing each other.

  Ling Han found it strange and asked, “The people outside will actually replenish your food? How do they give it to you?”

  Chapter 522

  Translator: Reverie_ Editor: Kurisu

  The miners explained one by one. Ling Han gave them food to dispel their misgivings as they told him everything he wanted to know.

  So, it turned out that one would die on the second day of leaving the mineshaft. That was right, but it didn’t mean that one wouldn’t die if one didn’t leave. In here, some people would die suddenly after three to four days, and some people could drag on for ten days to half a month, but without exception, all would die in the end.

  With a day of life, they would linger on whilst at death’s door for one day; they still needed to struggle to fill their stomachs.

  The guards didn’t dare to enter the mineshaft and could only take food to exchange for the ores they mined at the separation of the mining area, throwing back and forth. However, no one dared to hide the food in the mining area, since it would be robbed clean by others. They ate it immediately as they got it and definitely wouldn’t leave a single bit.

  Although this was a mineshaft, there weren’t many blood-red ores, so some people who had a tough life weren’t killed by the curse but died of hunger and thirst. No one would think of eating their corpses, because the dead’s meat was black—extremely toxic or something; anyway, whoever ate it would die.

  Thus, other than the misdeed of some people eating others at first, it never happened again.

  Not everyone was doing their best to dig ores. Some people banded together, or those who thought they were strong enough, began the business of robbing. However, the people here died too quickly, and all gangs and elites would soon vanish into thin air.

  As Ling Han listened, he didn’t quite know how to feel.

  “They’re so pitiful!” Hu Niu said.

  Never would’ve thought this little girl would pity others? Ling Han rubbed Hu Niu’s head and said, “Niu Niu’s grown up, knowing to care for others!”

  “However, they can’t steal Niu’s food to eat!” Hu Niu immediately defended her rights.

  Ling Han smiled faintly, and said to those miners, “Did you guys dig up any ores? Give it to me, sell me a piece!” He took out a bunch of food and water again.

  “I’ll give it to you!”

  “I’ll also give it to you!”

  “Buy mine!”

  Those miners hurriedly crowded in, fumbling out blood-red rocks that were pathetically small. The largest one was only the size of a pinky. Fearing that Ling Han would be dissatisfied, they looked at him with hopeful eyes, fearing that he’d say no.

  …Because Ling Han gave much more food than the guards outside did, and it was also much tastier.

  Ling Han had mixed feelings. It was only some food, yet it could make people so meek and subservient. He distributed the food to everyone and stored those ores, an extremely small amount that could all be held within a single grasp.

  He placed the ores in his hand and ins
tantly felt the martial flower within his body aroused with an intense rapaciousness, wanting to devour and absorb these rocks—to be precise, a certain substance within the rocks. At this moment, five burly men came out from the mine roads at the bottom, and seeing the food in people’s hands, they instantly revealed an expression of burning desire. Each one of them revealed a threatening look and yelled, “Hand over all the food!”

  A burly fellow pointed at Hu Niu and said, “Brother Yang, there’s also a little girl!”

  “What, a girl!” Brother Yang saw Hu Niu and instantly licked his lips. “I love these young chicks the most. Haha, I’ve held back in here for ten days. Today, not only can I get a delicious meal, but also feel some pleasure!”

  Ling Han sighed. Inside the mineshaft, the ugliness of human nature was enlarged infinitely, and passing a day without knowing whether tomorrow would come, whose evilness within wouldn’t be unleashed? Anyway, if one didn’t have many days to live, why not do as one pleased for once?

  This Brother Yang was obviously the typical case.

  However, this person’s natal horoscope was truly tough. Staying in here for ten days and not having his life taken away, this confirmed an old saying that bad guys lived for thousands of years.

  Seeing these five people, the miners all trembled in fear. These five had a notorious reputation. It was said that before the other miners came, the five were already tyrants here, but they could never die; the gods truly had no eyes. They had already fallen to such a degree and had to be bullied by these scums.

  “Little beauty, brother will take you to have some fun.” Brother Yang stared at Hu Niu, almost drooling out of his mouth.

  “The gods won’t take you, then I will!” Ling Han snorted faintly and pointed out with a finger. Pu , a hole opened in Brother Yang’s head and penetrated all the way to the back of the head, blood mixed with white-colored brains splattering violently.

  Everyone was first startled, and then the five burly fellows immediately screamed. If one didn’t personally hear it, it was truly hard to imagine that four burly men could actually let out such a womanish scream. They turned to run right away, knowing they bumped into a hard spot.