The Rain Emperor, Ding Ping, Shui Yanyu, Hu Feiyun, and the others were also obviously improving. The most incredible one was still the Rain Emperor, who had shockingly achieved the peak stage of the medium extreme. Even if he had the assistance of Ling Han’s alchemical pills, as well as the Reincarnation Tree to assist in comprehension of Dao, this was still extremely shocking.
It was as if the Rain Emperor was naturally born for martial arts, and the higher his cultivation level was, the more frightening his explosive burst was.
Meanwhile, Feng Po Yun, Ding Ping, and the others had just advanced into the medium extreme, and the gap between them and the Rain Emperor was becoming larger and larger.
Shui Yanyu had also reached the peak stage of the high extreme. As for Hu Feiyun, since she was Empress Luan Xing’s doppelganger, as long as she was willing to seriously cultivate, the rate at which she progressed was similarly shocking. She had already broken through to the peak stage of the consummate level, and could attempt to reach the pinnacle level.
And the Yellow Spring Mystery Realm had finally opened as well.
Chapter 1170 - Death Valley
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The Yellow Spring Mystery Realm was not on the Heavenly Wind Mountain. Instead, it was in the Death Valley that was 100,000 miles away.
It was still within the territory of the Majestic Heaven Sect, but had been a forbidden area since several millennia ago. One should know just from hearing the name. This was the Death Valley; death was the only fate of those who came in.
It wasn’t until Venerable Trinity came here and suppressed the inauspicious air of this place using his supreme techniques that the historical site buried beneath finally reappeared, allowing people to enter, explore, and obtain treasures.
However, this ancient site was no training grounds. It was designed specifically for cultivators to foray into. This place should have been the abode of an elite as it had frightening restrictions in place for protection.
Venerable Trinity had indeed dispersed a part of the formation here, but could not completely do so. Hence, this place could only be visited once every 100 years because it was at such intervals that the might of the restrictions would be weakened the most. With Venerable Trinity in charge of opening the doors, entrance was finally—and only—possible then.
Even so, it could only accommodate the power of the Mountain River Tier at most. If it was too strong, the restrictions would be triggered—that would definitely not lead to a positive result.
Even though Venerable Trinity had disposed of the inauspicious air of this place, it was filled with an eerie coldness. If it was not for the fact that the Yellow Spring Mystery Realm would be opened every 100 years, there would definitely be no one willing to come to this place.
There were no flowers, plants, wild animals, nor birds. This was a completely barren place.
A black aura was exuding from the whole valley. Its exact source could not be found, but it engulfed the whole valley, causing an urge to avoid it arise in people just from seeing it. No one wanted to come in contact with it.
But now, this place was brimming with people. Some had still come here to try their luck even if they had not gotten entrance slots from the Majestic Heaven Sect.
Ling Han’s eyes swept over the gathered masses, and he saw a familiar person that he himself had not seen many times.
…Sha Yuan!
Involuntarily, his eyes frosted over, a sliver of killing intent seeping into his gaze.
This man coveted the treasure in his possession, and had demanded it from him several times. After Ling Han had refused, the former had even sent out people to hunt him down and kill him.
This enmity was one that Ling Han had never forgotten.
Previously, even if Ling Han had wanted to take revenge, he could not find a chance. That was because Sha Yuan had reached the consummate level of Mountain River Tier by himself, and remained at the Academy and the Great General Sha’s Residence all day. How was he supposed to kill him then?
But now?
There was practically no change in Sha Yuan’s cultivation, but Ling Han had already advanced into the pinnacle level of the Mountain River Tier. Furthermore, this place was not Point Star City, but rather a Mystery Realm.
‘Sha Yuan, you should repay your debt to me!’
“So he is Sha Yuan?” the Rain Emperor asked. He had heard Ling Han speak of how he had become enemies with Zhao Lun, Sha Yuan, and the others.
Ling Han nodded, and replied, “En, that’s him.”
“Let us brothers join forces and kill him together!” Murong Qing declared with burning killing intent.
Even the strongest of the three of them had just barely advanced into the high extreme. There was still quite a distance from Sha Yuan’s level. Even if the three of them joined forces, they could not possibly have a chance of winning.
Ling Han shook his head, and declared, “He is mine!”
“After entering into the Mystery Realm, we will move separately,” the Rain Emperor said.
Feng Po Yun nodded as well. They were all brave and courageous characters, filled with confidence in themselves. They had no intention to continue living under Ling Han’s protection.
Ling Han knew he could not convince them otherwise, so he simply nodded, and said, “Be careful!”
He had given enough alchemical pills to his brothers, disciple, and Helian Tianyun. Furthermore, martial arts could not be improved with mere cultivation alone. Practical experience was similarly important.
“Han Lin!” He Tao, Wu Zhe, and four other young men and women with high reputation walked over.
All around them, people stepped back, giving way to this group of six.
They were the six great king tiers of the Mountain River Tier in the Majestic Heaven Sect. They were invincible in the Mountain River Tier, and after entering the Yellow Spring Mystery Realm, they would be truly invincible because Sun Moon Tier elites could not enter. Who would be a match for these six king tiers?
Of course, now, it was seven king tiers.
Ling Han nodded, then clasped his hands, and respectfully said, “Greetings, everyone.”
They had met once before to discuss the matter of opening the treasure trove. Because the treasure trove was in the deepest parts of the Mystery Realm, and there were various fated opportunities on the way there, they could not possibly abandon everything else and head directly there. Thus, they had agreed to move separately before reaching the treasure trove.
Wu Zhe had swept away the embarrassment of his previous loss, and recovered his strong confidence. Even when facing Ling Han again, he did not avoid his gaze.
“That should be about it.”
Very soon, an elite descended from the skies as if he was a heavenly emperor. There was endless divine light trailing behind him as if the heavens themselves were moving for him.
“Venerable Trinity!”
“It’s Venerable!”
Many people called out, incredible reverence on their faces.
In this galaxy, elites of the Eternal River Tier were the strongest existence. Naturally, they were like true gods in everyone’s hearts.
However, no one could distinctly see the actual features of this elite.
Endless divine light entwined around his whole body, so it could not be distinguished whether he was tall or short, man or woman. If it were not for the fact that they knew that there was only one elite of the Eternal River Tier here, they would not have been able to guess his identity at all.
Xiu, xiu, xiu. A great many other figures shot over, and they all stopped behind Venerable Trinity. Upon counting, there were a total of 24 figures.
These were the 24 Heavenly Body Tier elites of the Majestic Heaven Sect. It looked like the operation today was extremely important if it caused all the elites of the Majestic Heaven Sect to turn out in full strength.
Ling Han’s eyes swept over them. These 24 peopl
e did not disguise their faces, and could be clearly seen. However, aside from Wei Zecheng, Ling Han did not recognize anyone else, and merely memorized these people’s faces.
Venerable Trinity did not waste time on words, and directly stretched out his hands. He began to channel a powerful Mystical Power, sweeping aside the black Qi of this place. Though the wind that was blowing out of the valley was still eerily cold, it was much better now.
This was a necessary step. Otherwise, if one directly stepped in, all those below the Heavenly Body Tier would be completely eliminated.
Venerable Trinity entered the valley. The 24 elites of the Heavenly Body Tier assisted him from the sidelines, dealing with some scattered black Qi, and the others followed behind him.
All those who had received an entrance slot had been given a jade pendant. Before, it had been completely unnoticeable, but at this moment, it was now exuding a soft light, forming a halo, and protecting their owner within.
There were some here to take advantage of the commotion; naturally, they could not possibly possess a jade pendant. They appeared very obvious here.
But what was strange was that the great elites of the Majestic Heaven Sect looked to have no intention of chasing them away. Instead, they allowed them to mingle in with the crowd, much to their confusion.
If the Majestic Heaven Sect had no plans to take control of this Mystery Realm, what was the point of distributing entrance slots, then? After they had opened the Mystery Realm, wouldn’t it be fine if they just allowed others to enter directly?
But those who were here for the first time found out why very soon.
“Ah!” someone shouted in agony as he collapsed onto the ground. He was twitching all over, appearing to be in great suffering. In a mere short moment, all his movements stopped, and all the life signs had vanished from him. He had actually died.
Ling Han was surprised—he had completely not discovered anything off. That person had just died for no conceivable reason.
Since he had already cultivated to the Immortal level, there was definitely no possibility of it being a strange illness, causing him to suddenly die.
If there had to be anything unusual, that was that the dead man was a “stowaway”, and there was no flickering light of a jade pendant from him.
Could it be that this was the reason?
Chapter 1171 - Flower's Fragrance
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“Ahhh!”
Yet another agonized wail cut through the air. More and more victims appeared, and without exception, these were all people who weren’t being protected by the light from the jade pendants.
No wonder the Majestic Heaven Sect didn’t pay attention to these “stowaways”. Even after eliminating the ominous aura of this place, those below the Heavenly Body Tier would still be killed if they weren’t suitably protected.
Was the Majestic Heaven Sect brutal? They were knowingly letting these people run to their deaths.
Ling Han shook his head. This wasn’t so much about brutality, but more about whether the Majestic Heaven Sect cared or not. They were the number one force in the galaxy, so did they need to care about other people’s opinions?
What a joke. Of course they didn’t!
Ling Han mulled over this problem as he walked. He had yet to reach the halfway mark, yet all of the “stowaways” had already died.
They were merely at the Mountain River Tier, so how long could they last?
Ling Han felt no sympathy for them. Exploring ancient sites was inherently dangerous, and everyone had to take responsibility for their own safety. If one wasn’t smart enough or courageous enough to do so, then why were they coming to these ancient sites in the first place? Anyhow, Ling Han was curious about what had killed those people.
He knew it was the black aura, but what exactly was that black aura?
He used his mind to communicate with the Black Tower and ask Notionless Saint for answers.
“The Eternal River Tier elite whose body had been laid to rest here probably practiced some sinister cultivation technique,” Notionless Saint said. “As such, the surrounding areas have also been affected. Since Venerable Trinity couldn’t fully eliminate the ominous aura, I can say with certainty that his cultivation level is far below that of the dead elite.”
Ling Han nodded in agreement. One elite was dead, and the other was alive, yet the latter still couldn’t completely eliminate the formations of the elite who was dead. This indeed hinted at a large gulf in abilities.
Everyone said that there were huge gulfs in abilities between those at the Immortal level—this now was proof. Venerable Trinity was merely able to eliminate a portion of the ominous aura. Not only that, but he was only able to do so once every 100 years, when the might of the restriction reached its weakest point. It was only at such a time that he could forcefully open a path for others to enter.
Of course, one couldn’t underestimate Venerable Trinity because of this. After all, he was still the strongest elite of the galaxy.
Regardless of what happened, elites still deserved respect.
Everyone walked slowly as the rate at which the ominous black aura was being removed was incredibly slow. Even Venerable Trinity couldn’t eliminate it any faster.
Half a day passed, and they finally arrived at the foot of the valley.
Venerable Trinity unleashed a supreme Mystical Power and ripped open a fissure in the sky. A dark passageway appeared. Through it, they could see a completely different land, one where the mountains were lush and the waters were clear. It made a stark contrast with the land they were currently in.
More astonishingly, there was a river that was flowing from the sky. Neither its origin nor its end could be seen—it was like a heavenly river. The water of this river seemed eerie, and it radiated with a boundless aura of death. One could vaguely see countless wraiths squirming in the river.
Although there was a passageway between them, Ling Han could still sense the terrifying and sinister nature of the river. ‘Is this the Yellow Spring1?’
“You guys can enter now!” Venerable Trinity said. There was a hint of exhaustion in his voice.
He was an Eternal River Tier elite, yet there was actually a look exhaustion on his face. From this, it could be seen just how taxing eliminating the ominous aura and opening the passageway was.
They all started to enter.
Shua, shua, shua!
The cultivators became a blur as they dashed into the passageway.
Peng!
Someone followed the cultivators, yet they were suddenly blown into smithereens.
It was a Sun Moon Tier elite who had forcefully suppressed his cultivation and tried to sneak in. He was only a step away from entering, and no one had come forward to stop him, either. However, he was killed by the restriction that prevailed through this place.
Those above the Mountain River Tier couldn’t enter—this wasn’t an empty warning.
Ling Han entered with Shui Yanyu and the others, and they all felt a strong chill when they passed through the entrance. It was as if a wraith were whispering in their ears. Meanwhile, crashing waves surged through the Yellow Spring and caused deafening roars to reverberate in the surroundings.
Everyone started to walk along the banks of the Yellow Spring. It was common knowledge that one would never get lost if they followed the banks of the Yellow Spring.
“Fourth Brother, let’s part here.”
The Rain Emperor and the others bade farewell to Ling Han and each set off on their own path. In the end, only Ling Han, Shui Yanyu, and Hu Feiyun remained.
“Let’s go.”
Ling Han held Shui Yanyu’s hand and started to walk off.
“Wait for me!” Hu Feiyun hurriedly ran after them as if she were afraid that Ling Han and Shui Yanyu would leave her behind.
After walking for a while, Ling Han sniffed at the air, and exclaimed, “It smells so nice!”
“Why,
you!” Shui Yanyu hit him lightly, thinking that he was teasing her.
‘Why are acting like this now? Can’t you see that the Ninth King is also here? She’s a clone of the empress!’
Ling Han laughed loudly, and said, “You misunderstood! I wasn’t talking about the fragrance from your body, but rather the fragrance from some flower!”
“Really?” There was a hint of doubt on her face. This man would always tease her in new and different ways.
Hu Feiyun hurriedly nodded, and said, “I can also smell it!”
“Let’s go!”
Ling Han turned in a different direction. The Yellow Spring was a huge landmark, and it could be seen from almost anywhere. Thus, they didn’t need to worry about getting lost.
They followed the fragrance, and after walking for a while, they arrived before a small hill. There was a bright blossoming flower atop of this hill, and it was this flower that was exuding the soft and delicate fragrance. This fragrance wasn’t concentrated, yet it could waft to extremely distant locations.
The three of them weren’t the first to detect this fragrance, and two other people had already arrived before them. However, they clearly weren’t together, and they stood opposite each other with the flower between them.
‘Is this a Godly medicine?’
Ling Han didn’t recognize this flower, and judging by the baffled look on Shui Yanyu’s and Hu Feiyun’s face, they didn’t recognize it, either. Meanwhile, what stopped them in their tracks was the piles of white bones that lay around the small hill. Some were humanoid, while others belonged to beasts.
It was evident that many others had noticed this flower before them. However, those who had attempted to pluck it had all died.
Ling Han wasn’t sure about the value of this flower. However, the fact that so many humans and beasts had tried to pluck it gave him a reason to believe that this flower was incredibly valuable. Otherwise, why did so many people attempt to pluck it?
‘Hang on… Is this a trap that takes advantage of one’s intuition?
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 602