The petrifying aura vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
“Huh? When did this evil beast die?” Hu Feiyun suddenly exclaimed. Her voice was filled with surprise and confusion.
Ling Han looked up, only to see that Hu Feiyun had already returned to her innocent and naive self. It was as though she had absolutely no recollection of what had just occurred.
‘Strange!’
Ling Han suddenly felt that the Ninth King didn’t merely have a sisterly relationship with the empress of the Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire. Instead, it was likely that their relationship ran much deeper. It was even more likely that there was some big secret hidden behind their relationship. Thus, the empress of the Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire had thought about killing him to shut him up just then. In the end, however, she didn’t.
Of course, even if she did attack, Ling Han could always hide into the Black Tower.
“Ling Han, did you kill this evil beast?” Hu Feiyun’s large eyes were sparkling with gratitude as she looked at him. “This is great! You’ve avenged Ting Qin and Yun Rong’s deaths!” She was extremely moved, and she continuously shook one of Ling Han’s arms as she spoke.
The pitiful Ling Han still hadn’t recovered from his feebleness yet, so Hu Feiyun’s strong shaking caused a wave of dizziness to overcome him.
“Calm down, calm down. There’s still another Demonic Beast!” Ling Han said hastily.
Hu Feiyun was instantly given a small fright. Her actions were jittery as she hurriedly turned around to look at the mountain peak.
However, that small Demon Wolf had seen Hu Feiyun’s prowess, and it was also missing one of its heads right now. Its power had already fallen to the middle stage of the low extreme. When it saw Hu Feiyun look over, it thought she that she was planning to finish it off. It frantically beat its wings and fled into the distance.
Hu Feiyun breathed a long sigh of relief. “Thank heavens you disposed of the large evil beast. Now, even this small evil beast is afraid of you.”
‘It’s afraid of you, okay?’ Ling Han said in his mind.
However, he didn’t argue with her, and said, “I need to recover my strength. We’ll set off after that.”
“Mm-hm!” Hu Feiyun eagerly nodded her head.
Ling Han swallowed an alchemical pill. However, he didn’t have any cultivation techniques of the Mountain River Tier right now, so he was unable to extract Spiritual Qi to actively speed up the process of his recovery. He could only passively wait for his Origin Power to be replenished.
As it turned out, the recovery of his physical strength was a much easier process. All he needed to do was rest for a short while.
‘I blundered. I didn’t prepare a cultivation technique of the Mountain River Tier in advance.’
Ling Han retrieved a True Origin Stone, and almost instinctively absorbed the Spiritual Qi that was contained within it. Although this process was quite slow, it was still better than doing nothing at all. After a full six hours, he was finally able to replenish all of his Origin Power.
Hu Feiyun naturally wouldn’t collect Spiritual Meat by herself. How could she partake in such a bloody activity? Moreover, Mountain River Stones were rare, but Spiritual Meat was definitely no special item in her eyes.
Ling Han didn’t hesitate, and cut the Spiritual Meat off the three-headed flying wolf. It was as large as a finger, and gave off a fragrant and alluring smell.
“Let’s go.”
The two of them continued their journey toward Crimson Lake. After several hours, a crimson-colored lake finally appeared before their eyes. There wasn’t a single ripple on the surface of the lake, and it appeared much like a congealed pool of blood. At the same time, it also appeared like a blood-colored crystal.
“Is this Crimson Lake? Better off calling it Blood Lake or Red Crystal Lake,” Ling Han said mockingly.
He and Hu Feiyun were not the first ones to arrive here. There were numerous people sitting cross-legged near the bank of the lake, and there were even some people who were venturing toward the center of the lake.
There were four sets of floating stones—each running along a different direction—in the lake. Each set formed a snaky path that led toward the center of the lake. At the center of the lake, there was a very small island.
The face-up side of the stones was all cut very neatly, and each stone was placed roughly three meters apart from the next. Those venturing toward the central island all stood on one stone before attempting to leap toward the next.
To cultivators, a distance of three meters was nothing. However, this didn’t appear to be the case here, and the cultivators all huffed with exertion after jumping from one stone to the next. Sweat trickled down their faces.
Plop!
Someone fell into the lake, and immediately started wailing in agony. He swam toward the bank as if his life depended on it, and it could be seen that his body had already become a bloody mess. It seemed as though the lake water had an extremely potent corrosive quality.
That person consumed medicines and channeled cultivation techniques, yet the flesh on his arms and legs still fell off piece after piece. His white bones gradually became visible, yet even these started to show signs of corrosion.
The corrosive ability of the lake water eventually stopped at the bones. However, that person had already become completely unrecognizable. There were bloody holes on his face, chest, and abdomen, and his brain, heart, intestines, and other internal organs had all become clearly visible. It was an extremely horrifying sight.
“Ling Han!” Shui Yanyu briskly walked over upon noticing his arrival. There was a relieved expression on her face. “You’ve finally arrived!”
Ling Han nodded, and asked, “What’s going on here?”
“There’s a small island in the center of the Crimson Lake, and there is a total of four paths that lead toward it,” Shui Yanyu explained. “The paths are those floating stones that you can see. However, there are astonishing gravity fields on those stones, and the further one ventures, the stronger the gravity field becomes.”
Only now did Shui Yanyu see Hu Feiyun. She hurriedly bowed, and said, “My respects to the Ninth King.”
She was slightly astonished by her own actions. Upon seeing that Ling Han was safe, she was actually so moved that she even ignored the presence of the Ninth King?
Hu Feiyun waved her hand, and said, “No need for the formalities.” Her actions appeared especially casual.
Meanwhile, Ling Han asked, “Are there Mountain River Stones on that island?”
“Indeed.” Shui Yanyu nodded, and said. “Although Mountain River Stones might exist in any location of the Mystery Realm, it’s certain that they exist on the island in the Crimson Lake. Moreover, the Mountain River Stones that exist here are ones with special attributes.”
“Oh, so what’s the special attribute of the Mountain River Stones here?” Ling Han’s eyes lit up in delight.
“Extreme weight,” Shui Yanyu replied.
Ling Han nodded, and said, “Then I’ll definitely have to obtain a few.”
Shui Yanyu couldn’t help but shake her head. “Even if you succeed, you can only obtain one Mountain River Stone at a time. Not to mention, it’s extremely difficult to reach the island in the center. In addition, the gravity fields that you experience will become much more powerful on your second attempt to reach the island. In fact, they become more and more powerful with each ensuing attempt.
“Only an extremely small number of people is able to succeed once, not to mention succeeding more than once.
“However, if fortune favors you, ordinary Mountain River Stones might appear on the floating stones as well. They do appear occasionally.”
Ling Han grinned widely. “I’m no ordinary person!”
Shui Yanyu immediately rolled her eyes in a charming manner. She had never seen someone as shameless as Ling Han. However, Hu Feiyun nodded in agreement. She believed that the three-headed flying wolf had been killed by
Ling Han. Thus, she naturally viewed him as a celestial, and held a blind trust in his power.
Chapter 958 - Zhao Lun's Achievement
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“You have to be careful!” Although Shui Yanyu wasn’t a fan of Ling Han’s smugness, she still warned him. “You also saw just then. The lake water is overflowing with corrosive power. If you’re pushed off the stones by their gravity fields, you’ll be severely wounded even if you aren’t killed.”
Ling Han nodded in understanding. He had seen the might of the lake water, and even he didn’t dare pat his chest and guarantee that his Level Two precious metal physique would be able to resist its corrosive property. After all, he hadn’t personally experienced it yet.
“If someone has wings, can’t they directly fly over?” he asked curiously.
Demonic Beasts could shapeshift into human form when they reached the Immortal level. They could even mate with humans and have half-human, half-demonic offspring, which would also have special abilities. For example, they could have fish gills and be able to breathe underwater, or have wings and be able to soar in the skies.
In the Immortal Realm, such beings were called Half Humans.
“It would be great if it were so easy.” Shui Yanyu shook her head, and said, “The higher one is, the more potent the force of the gravity field. Otherwise, you could simply expand into a gigantic form and stride onto the island in a single step.”
‘True.’
Ling Han smiled and nodded. To elites of the Immortal level, expanding or shrinking their body one hundredfold for a short period of time was no difficult feat. If one could stride onto the island in a single step, then this lake and island would have lost their meaning.
“If that’s the case, then it’s obvious that someone has purposefully laid this out as it is,” he speculated. “Did a great elite of the Genesis Tier really lay things out here in the past?”
“Perhaps,” Shui Yanyu said, nodding. That was already a matter from hundreds of millions of years ago. Who could survive for so long and live into the current age? Anyway, one hundred million years was merely how far back history could delve. Perhaps this Mystery Realm had existed since a long, long time before that.
“Forget about it,” Ling Han said. “Regardless of who created this place, I’ll give the stone path a shot first.”
“Be careful!” Shui Yanyu warned again.
Meanwhile, Hu Feiyun was brimming with confidence. “Ling Han will definitely succeed.”
Ling Han laughed loudly, and acted as if he were going to pinch Shui Yanyu’s pretty face. “Your tone is becoming more and more like you were my wife.”
Shui Yanyu cussed as she hurriedly dodged Ling Han’s hand. “What can you expect from a hog but a grunt.”
Ling Han strode toward one of the lake’s “bridges”.
“Hmm?”
“It’s that brat!”
His appearance instantly attracted the attention of a few people. Two youths instantly walked over with their arms wrapped around their chests. They stared at Ling Han coldly.
Ling Han swept his gaze over them, and also recognized who they were. Before entering the Mystery Realm, Shui Yanyu had already told him about these individuals.
One of them was called Ye Wenshan, and another was called Tang Hua. They were both students of the Northern Institution, but they weren’t members of the Shattering Void Tier Division. Rather, they were students of the Low Extreme Division. Their ranks were very high as well, with one ranked at 480, and the other ranked at 522.
In addition, they also had another identity. That was, they were the subordinates of Bai Yuansi, one of the three great followers of Zhao Lun.
In simpler terms, they were the lackeys of Zhao Lun’s lackeys.
“Junior Brother Ling, this is not an easy path to cross,” Tang Hua said. “Each floating stone is slippery and inhospitable to the feet. In addition to that, there’re also the extremely powerful gravity fields. You’ve got to be careful not to fall into the lake. That’s something that could easily melt you to death.”
“If I were you, I’d rid myself of any thoughts of advancing,” Ye Wenshan added.
Ling Han flashed a smile, and said, “No need to provoke me. Since I’ve already walked over, I have no intention of giving up halfway. On the other hand, if Senior Brothers want to target me while I’m crossing, and—for example—push me off the floating stones or something… Heh, let me warn Senior Brothers in advance. Be careful of becoming victims of your own evil deeds!”
“You…” Anger flashed across Ye Wenshan and Tang Hua’s faces. This ant from the small world actually dared to threaten them back?
“You think you’re on top of the world just because you broke through to the Mountain River Tier?” Tang Hua sneered. “In a short while, you’ll realize just how laughable your belief is!”
The two of them stopped talking, and merely continued to glare at Ling Han. They would follow him whenever he started to advance forward. Then, they would push him into the lake. As such, they would also have an excuse afterward. The gravity fields on the floating stones were immense; thus, it was very understandable if they lost their footing.
Ling Han naturally knew what they were thinking. He chuckled coldly in his mind as he confidently strode forward.
Weng!
His body suddenly felt a lot heavier when he stepped onto the first stone. His hair and clothes all sagged downward.
These were things that usually didn’t experience much gravity. Now, however, there were extremely evident changes. This was enough to show the power of these gravity fields.
Ling Han unleashed a tiny bit of his Origin Power, and his speed barely faltered as he strode onto the next stone. As he did so, the gravity field became a few degrees stronger. Clacking sounds could be heard as his bones collided with each other.
In total, there were 100 stepping stones. If the second stone was already this powerful, then how terrifying was the stone at the end?
Plop!
Ahead of him, another person fell into the water. They frantically swam toward the bank, and naturally, their state was a horror to look at.
“Motherf*cker! The gravity fields here are so bloody freakish. Can people truly reach the island?” someone shouted.
“Of course they can!”
“Just cast your mind to 10 years ago. The Western Institution’s Pang Yue succeeded in reaching the island.”
“If we go further back, Senior Brother Zhao Lun also succeeded a few hundred years ago. Not only did he succeed, but he was also able to obtain two Mountain River Stones in a row!”
“What? Two?! Don’t the gravity fields become numerous times more powerful after one has succeeded once?”
“Indeed! That’s why the strength of Senior Brother Zhao Lun is unfathomable!”
“Gasp! Senior Brother Zhao Lun was already freakishly powerful to begin with. Now that he’s refined two extreme weight Mountain River Stones, just how terrifying has his battle prowess become?”
Many people were rendered speechless at the mention of Zhao Lun’s great name. This was a god-like male whom they could only look up to. His lofty standing was not something they could dream of reaching.
“Heh, do you guys know that Senior Brother Zhao’s three great followers—Bai Yuansi, Zuo Xiao, and Fan Yong—have also obtained a Mountain River Stone from here before?”
“What?!”
Numerous people had never heard of this secret information before, and their minds all became numb with shock. ‘Even his followers are that freakishly powerful?’
“Otherwise, what right do they have to become followers of Senior Brother Zhao?”
In the end, an elder concluded, “It’s not impossibly difficult to obtain a single Mountain River Stone from this place. Every time, there are a dozen or so people who are able to complete this feat. However, in the past 500 years, only one person has managed to obtain two Mountain River
Stones.”
‘F*ck!’
Many people clasped their heads in shock. No wonder Zhao Lun had the title “number one prodigy in 1000 years”. His strength was indeed a long way ahead of other prodigies’.
Ling Han’s mind was calm, yet a feeling of pride welled up in his heart.
Zhao Lun could obtain two Mountain River Stones here? Then he would obtain three!
He raised his foot, and steadily took his third step.
Ye Wenshan and Tang Hua weren’t in a hurry to make their move. They were both waiting—waiting for Ling Han to walk further first. That way, Ling Han would receive more severe wounds after he fell into the lake. In fact, there was a possibility that he wouldn’t make it back to the bank, and even his bones would be dissolved into nothing.
Before long, however, the expressions on their faces changed. ‘Why is he running so fast? He’s already crossed over 30 stone steps!’
They exchanged a glance, and didn’t hesitate any longer. They raised their speed and hurriedly chased after Ling Han. It was evident that their aim was to knock him into the lake.
Chapter 959 - Hoisted By One’s Own Petard
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Since Ye Wenshan and Tang Hua were excellent students ranked 480 and 522 in the Northern Institution’s Low Extreme Division, they were naturally at the peak stage of the low extreme. Moreover, they were both one-star geniuses, and their true battle prowess was on par with the early stage of the medium extreme.
They had already tried their hand at it before, and advancing 80 steps was the limit of their abilities. Thus, even though they did face some pressure before this limit, they still had the energy to perform some other actions.
For example, pushing someone into the lake.
Xiu! Xiu!
They speedily leaped forward.
The floating stones weren’t overly small, and they were large enough to fit one person comfortably. However, it would become a little crowded if two people stood on the same stone, and three people definitely wouldn’t be able to do so.
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 491