Everyone from the Giant Sword Sect was male. They were all dressed in black, each with a giant, sheath-less sword on their backs. With extremely cold expressions on their faces, they each gave off a murderous spirit.
The people from the Spirit Beast Mountain were dressed in very colorful and flashy clothing, wearing all kinds of leather with numerous pockets. There even seemed to be living creatures moving around in their clothes. This frightened the disciples from the other sects to no end.
As for the people from the Saber Transformation Dock and the Heavenly Imperial Fortress, aside from how they each dressed, they were at least considered normal people in Han Li’s eyes. They were like the Yellow Maple Valley’s disciples, and many of them were whispering with nervous faces.
Chapter 179: Breaking the Barrier
While the leaders of every sect gathered together to discuss how to open the forbidden area, Han Li was not idle. He was sizing up the vicious characters of each of the sects.
Toward a few experts at the peak of the thirteenth layer of their cultivation art, Han Li was calculating whether he could hide, escape or hide behind someone. Han Li absolutely didn’t wish for another battle like the one he had with “Senior Martial Brother Lu” and exhaust every last drop of magic power.
It should be known that this situation was completely different from that last time. This time, he didn’t face a single enemy, but rather great numbers of red-eyed cultivators. If he did not preserve his strength and continuously maintain his power to strike back, he would certainly be one of the first to be eliminated.
While he was looking from the side and pondering, Han Li suddenly felt as if someone was staring at him. He was slightly alarmed and could not help but return the gaze.
A female disciple from the Spirit Beast Mountain was somewhat evasively looking at Han Li. After seeing her beautiful face, he unexpectedly felt somewhat familiar with her.
Han Li was shocked. He recognized that woman. A slim figure appeared from the depths of his memory.
“It’s her, the girl who sold me the Golden Sincerity Brush at the Great South Valley. How did she enter Spirit Beast Mountain set and participate in this Trial by by Blood and Fire?” The young woman was even more charming than he had remembered, causing him to be somewhat doubtful.
However, her easily blushing face remained fresh in his memory, and he felt very favorable towards her!
With this thought, he could not help but smile toward the young woman.
It was obvious the young woman had clearly seen his smile since her two cheeks were suddenly flushed red. It seemed she was as easily embarrassed as before!
The fully bearded man who stood behind the young woman seemed to notice the actions of Han Li and the young woman, and his complexion sunk. He suddenly said something to the young woman in a stern voice, and the young woman’s expression immediately paled. She lowered her head silently, no longer daring to look towards Han Li’s direction!
That man did not let the matter go and stared at Han Li with a malicious gaze.
Han Li wrinkled his brow. It seemed the days that the girl spent at Spirit Beast Mountain had been harsh. This fully bearded man was actually one of the vicious characters he had taken note of a moment ago, one of the disciples with a cultivation at the thirteenth layer. This young woman was being so carefully watched by him; it was certain she had suffered quite a bit.
However, Han Li was not a person from Spirit Beast Mountain. Furthermore, once they were in the forbidden area, those who weren’t enemies at the moment would become enemies. He naturally did not respond to the provocation and paid no attention to the grimace aimed at him.
Han Li’s action angered the bearded man until his face flowed with blood. However, he had no method to grab Han Li, and with no better option, he turned his head to the young woman and roared several words in a low voice, provoking the nearby Spirit Beast Mountain disciples until they raised their eyebrows. Most of them glanced at the young woman with a look of hatred.
Han Li grew sullen and felt much pity toward the young woman. However, because he was separated by such a long distance, he was unable to clearly hear what the bearded man was saying.
Because he did not want to wrong this young woman again, Han Li no longer incited this boor who knew no manners toward women. Though, Han Li was confident that he had sufficient methods to cause this person to seethe with anger without being able to retaliate.
At this moment, each of the sect’s Martial Ancestor finished their talks and returned to their sect’s disciples. They then brought their juniors into the air, flying toward the famed forbidden area.
After flying for several hours toward the border of the State of Yuan Wu, they fell onto an expansive yellow earth slope that had no end. Apart from a pile of stones, not a single blade of grass could be seen. There was only a vast, endless yellow as far as the eye could see.
“Could it be here?”
Han Li and the others felt greatly surprised. This truly did not look like a place where spiritual objects of Heaven and Earth were nurtured.
Several of the Core Formation experts gathered again to say a few words, Then a tall and sturdy expert from the Giant Sword Sect suddenly walked out alone. After he walked forward about ten steps, he stopped.
He extended his left hand, and yellow light surged forth from the floor. It was as if a yellow dragon sprung forth from the mud and condensed into a giant mud sword in his hand.
With a finger from his right hand, he softly stroked the sword from the handle to its point. A bright white light shined along his finger, making the mud sword gray in an instant, turning it into a giant heavy stone sword.
This skill of turning mud into stone was a mid-grade magic technique, causing the disciples of the seven sects to be astonished and widely opening their horizons.
After this was done, the expert from the Giant Sword Sect did not stop. Instead, he felt the sword in both hands and lowered his body. With a large shout, he threw the stone sword as fast as a meteor, sharply launching straight it into the sky.
This event shook the hearts of those who were present. When the stone sword barely flew the distance of several tens of steps, it immediately touched something. After a sudden tremor, it turned to fine dust, and an azure light covered the great expanse of the sky, causing everybody’s skin to shine with an azure glow.
While the crowd of disciples was scared witless, the azure light intensely surged for no reason, causing countless wind blades to scream out. They madly flew out everywhere, creating a wall of wind blades that neither wind nor rain could penetrate. The wind wall had no end to either side, and nobody knew where it ended. The azure light let out the hisses of wind from all direction.
If someone were to enter the wall, they would immediately know the feeling of death from a thousand cuts and turn into tens of thousands of pieces.
‘This restrictive barrier is truly astonishing, and yet nobody knows what kind of remarkable ancient expert was able to set up such a tremendously ferocious spell formation. In comparison, Yellow Maple Valley’s protective formations are like that of a child playing around. It’s not worth mentioning.’ Han Li thought, inwardly sighing.
At this moment, the Giant Sword Sect’s expert shook his head and walked back. The remaining leaders declared that the time had yet to come and told the disciples to first rest for a short time. They would open the forbidden area in a moment.
Like that, the person from the Giant Sword Sect did the same thing every two hours to test the strength of the restrictive barrier. When the fourth stone word was thrown, the amount of wind blades rushing forth from the azure light clearly decreased by a great amount.
With these circumstances, the six other Core Formation experts took the same actions and flew out shoulder to shoulder.
Martial Ancestor Li held out his hand; a ring-shaped object about a foot-long slowly emerged from his palm, releasing a fierce silver radiance. The Daoist Priest patted the back of his head an
d spouted out an inch-long azure light from his mouth. As it flew down the wind, it lengthened, transforming into a flying sword several feet long.
The other five respectively let out extremely dazzling items: a pink ribbon, a dragon-like walking stick, a huge black green sword, a long saber emitting red light, an official’s seal flickering with yellow light.
The seven items from the seven people enhanced each other’s brilliance, creating the appearance of a ring that charged directly into the great formation of wind blades.
These were the magic treasures that these experts created after years of bitter temperament once they entered Core Formation.
Each of the sect’s disciples didn’t dare to be negligent. Under the orders of their Foundation Establishment Seniors, they all stood behind the seven ancestors in seven columns, preparing to enter the forbidden area at any time.
A burst of loud rumbling sounded out as the seven magic treasures fiercely fought against the wind blades. All sorts of rays of light shot off in every direction, producing a strange whistle from time to time that caused the disciples who were watching to become very nervous.
Martial Ancestor Li’s foot-long ring spun and revolved continuously, releasing silver lights that at some moments seemed large and other times seemed small as if it were communicating with spirits. Countless wind blades struck against it.
The azure flying sword transformed into a flood dragon more than thirty meters long. Each of the sword strikes carried a strange cry that astonished one’s soul.
The other five magic treasures were also remarkable, especially that Mei Tianque’s yellow seal. It was the most powerful. Each time it crushed down, it was as if a small mountain arose with the sound of thunder bursting out. However, after each attack, it withdrew and returned to its original form. Furthermore, its flight was slow and clumsy.
Although the might of the seven magic treasures were astonishing and the large formation wind blades considerably weakened, it was still incomparably strenuous. Every step toward the wind wall required a great amount of effort. Before long, faint traces of sweat could be seen on the foreheads of these seven experts.
After six to eight hours of fierce fighting, the seven experts were sweating profusely. However, their magic treasures were finally winning, and they were able to beat open a passage in the wind wall about three meters wide. Nobody could see what existed beyond the passage.
“Quickly enter! We won’t be able to endure for long!” The Daoist Priest took the initiative to yell. Because he had the weakest magic power among the seven, he was also sweating the most.
When the disciples of the seven sects heard this, they dared not be negligent and flew into the passage in alternating turns.
At that moment, everyone was silent with dark expressions. They all know that once they entered the forbidden area, everyone would immediately become an enemy of life or death. Even fellow apprentices from the same sect could not be trusted.
Han Li stood in the middle rear of the column formations. In front of him was a Giant Sword Sect disciple, and behind him stood a disciple from the Saber Transformation Dock.
The passage was not long, simply a distance of sixty meters away. In the instant Han Li flew out of the exit, the scene before him caused him to feel a moment of dizziness. Before his very eyes, the people behind him and the exit had disappeared without a trace.
Chapter 180: Black Dragon Pond
The dark gray rotting earth was dotted with continuously bubbling muddy puddles, grotesque and twisted trees, and an unknown short blood-red grass beneath his legs. The air was filled with a strange, pungent odor. This was what Han Li observed once he grew clearheaded.
Han Li could not help but be curious towards the bizarre environment. Han Li first diligently looked in all directions to see whether or not there were people around him. After all, the greatest source of danger were the sect disciples that entered the forbidden area along with him.
It seemed that he was quite lucky. Within about a hundred meters, there was no one aside from himself. He softly let out a sigh.
However, he did not yet relax his guard but rather held onto a talisman with one hand and the “Gold Beetle Swarm Blades” with the other so that he would be absolutely safe.
At that moment, Han Li was able to slightly calm himself. He carefully observed his surroundings for anything strange.
Han Li was not frightened from having suddenly appeared in an unfamiliar area. Before the trip to the forbidden area, those stewards had given everyone detailed information concerning the forbidden area.
The information mentioned that once someone entered the forbidden area, they would be affected by some shifting formation spell and be instantly transported to some corner in the forbidden area. As for what location, that would depend on the individual’s luck.
If one was able to be transferred to the area closest to the center, they would be able to gather many spiritual herbs. These figures would be the greatly fortunate ones. One could also be delivered directly beneath the stares of several demonic beasts. If that were the case, there wouldn’t even be a bloody battle. They would be fundamentally incapable of escaping with their body intact. As for those with even worse bad luck, they might be delivered to some dangerous area and would immediately die. Naturally, these sort of circumstances were minimal.
The circumstances that occurred the most were those like Han Li, transported to some corner of the forbidden area and only able to blindly move forward.
The reason why those circumstances occurred, according to the deduction of those senior experts, was because of the manner by which they broke the barrier and entered. Since they used an improper method to enter, it was only natural they would activate a few restrictions and encounter a few mishaps.
While Han Li cautiously paced the vicinity in a circle, he compared the nearby environment with the information he had memorized. He eventually remembered some very useful information accumulated by the disciples who left the forbidden area; it was vastly useful to those who entered for the first time.
“The Black Dragon Pond is located in the forbidden area’s northeast corner. The pond is about a hundred meters deep at its center, with a radius of over ten Li. There are many Rotting Bone Flowers, Serpent Slug Trees, and other similar plants that can be used to create poison, but their value is not much.”
“At the center of the Black Dragon Pond, every tens of years or so, a few clumps of “Cold Smoke Grass” appear near the pond water. This is a wondrous herb that can be used in an extensive number of applications. If possible, gather as many as possible since the sect is sure to exchange great rewards for them. However, one must pay attention to the pool’s depths as it may conceal a group of lower grade one demonic beasts, the Cold Ice Toads. However, they have a meek nature. So long as one does not take the initiative to provoke them, they will not pose much danger.”
After Han Li went over the information several more times, he had several thoughts in mind.
According to common conventions, the closer one was to the center of the forbidden area, the rarer spiritual items one would find along with stronger demonic beasts guarding them. The Black Dragon Pond was located near the outer edges but not in the outermost layer. If he hurried, he would be able to reach the innermost region within a day.
With this thought, Han Li didn’t dare to use flying tools. Instead, he jumped up a large, lush tree and surveyed in every direction. After he clearly identified the direction, he jumped down.
The pool was south of Han Li and happened to lead towards the forbidden area’s central area. It seemed he would be able to take a look in passing.
Han Li used a concealment technique on his body. Afterwards, he carefully walked forward on the path with quick and light footsteps. It was unknown if it was because Han Li was excessively nervous, but after walking several Li on the path, he had yet to encounter anything unexpected. It seemed he was the only person in the Black Dragon Pond area.
Wh
en he heard the sound of flowing water, Han Li was able to slightly relax his tense mind.
After chopping down winding branches that obstructed his path, he was able to see a deep dark-green pond. Nobody had yet to approach it. The forest’s chilling air already caused Han Li to shiver.
‘This is the Black Dragon Pond?’ Han Li curiously sized it up.
The size of the pool could not be considered large, and its surrounding area was filled with Serpent Slug Trees. However, the surface of the water actually emitted traces of cold Qi that could be seen with the naked eye. Even the land next to the pond produced a layer of sparkling ice. The intensity of the pond water’s icy coldness could clearly be seen.
Han Li did not pay attention to these few things. What he cared about were the tens of bundles of the short white fluffy grass growing close to the water’s edge. The grass stalks had five leaves and were a pure white all over. They also emitted a faint white Qi that enveloped them like smoke. They truly seemed to have a somewhat spiritual appearance.
“That’s right, this must be the Cold Smoke Grass. It doesn’t differ in the slightest from the information’s description!” Han Li muttered to himself, inwardly rejoicing.
Although this herb had no relation to his Foundation Establishment Pills, him being able to easily acquire this from the start was truly a good omen.
Han Li habitually swept his gaze left and right before walking over. However, his expression suddenly changed. He lowered his body, lightly taking a few steps. After he concealed himself behind a few branches, he expressionlessly looked toward the left side of the dense woods.
Not long after, the silhouette of a person flashed by. A blue-clothed man walked out while looking around. From the look of his clothes, he seems to be someone from the Heavenly Imperial Fortress. This person was extremely careful. With each step, he turned his head three times and incessantly looked in all directions. It seemed he was firmly holding something in his fist; he should have already made preparations for an attack. He walked toward the direction of the “Cold Smoke Grass”.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 88