https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-223-Entering-the-Spirit-Realm-Killing-Celestials/12533444/
Chapter 224: Black Cloud Swamp, Rules of the Spirit Realm
Chapter 224: Black Cloud Swamp, Rules of the Spirit Realm
Dai Yingying was used to being arrogant and had brought about her own demise.
"Should we report it? It seems the Blood Demon has returned," the left guardian asked in a low voice.
"Whether or not he is the Blood Demon is just our speculation. Besides, even if he is, he probably no longer cultivates the killing technique. Remember, the one from Tai Miao Mountain entered the Inner Realm. And twenty years ago, Mu Jia Fengzi also went in. If the Blood Demon is truly alive, what do you think?" The right guardian said gravely.
"Hiss!" The left guardian's eyes widened in shock. "Are you saying that if the Blood Demon is truly alive and no longer cultivates the killing technique, then..."
The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became. There was something deeper going on here!
The right guardian continued, "Even if that's not the case, if we let the Blood Demon go and something happens, we will surely die even if we're not at fault. Just like how we sometimes kill those Master Warriors when we're in a bad mood, even though they may not have done anything wrong. And we are just as insignificant to the God Refiners as those warriors are to us."
The left guardian's expression turned grim. The two of them were of humble backgrounds and were part of the internal guards of the Zheng Kingdom's royal family, tasked with guarding the entrance to the Spirit Realm. Compared to those from the Spirit Sect, their status was vastly inferior.
The shadow left by the Blood Demon among the numerous powerful Spirit Sect experts in the Spirit Realm was quite substantial.
"Speaking up might lead to death, but keeping quiet might only prolong it for a few days. However, if we keep this hidden until it's too late, we might be able to live a little longer. Besides, the longer we wait, the more variables there might be. After all, the two from the Mercury Palace who entered the Inner Realm have not yet returned." The right guardian continued.
"Yes, let's keep it quiet!" The left guardian took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.
"What about Dai Yingying's death?" he asked, furrowing his brows.
"We saw her. She came for a visit, felt that the inferior people in the Inner Realm were too trashy and not worthy of exploring the way, so she left. As for where she died, how would we know? Isn't there a rogue celestial who vowed to destroy her? Let's just say that person did it," the right guardian said calmly.
Dai Yingying and her guardian were both dead, their bodies turned to ash.
Aside from the two of them and the murderer, no one else knew what had transpired.
"So be it, then," the left guardian agreed solemnly.
The two continued their cultivation, pretending that nothing had happened, and the gate to the Spirit Realm remained unopened.
However, they had silently agreed that from then on, they would not mistreat anyone who came from the Inner Realm, lest they be related to the Blood Demon and seek death like Dai Yingying. At the same time, they cursed Jiao Ming and Ping'er in their hearts for taking so long to return from the Inner Realm. If it weren't for the fact that the two of them were from the Spirit Sect, they would have closed the gate of the Spirit Realm and left them stranded there!
...
After Xu Yan entered the Spirit Realm, Li Xuan and his group returned to Canglan Island.
As soon as they left the land of Cangbei, Li Xuan saw the Golden Book of the Dao open, emitting a golden light.
"Your disciple destroyed a minor celestial with one palm. Your combat experience has increased!"
Li Xuan:...
Hadn't they just entered the Spirit Realm? And now his disciple had already killed a minor celestial? He hoped this wouldn't cause any trouble.
Li Xuan recalled how Xu Yan had started killing Masters shortly after entering the Inner Realm, and now it seemed history was repeating itself.
"He won't keep killing minor celestials every few days like he did in the Inner Realm, will he?" Li Xuan suddenly felt a bit worried.
"With his cultivation of the 'Same as Light' technique, even if he encounters a God Refiner chasing after him, he should be able to hide and escape. It shouldn't be a big problem," Xu Yan reassured. He was no longer a novice in the martial arts world and had gained ample experience from his adventures.
Moreover, Xu Yan was not one to stubbornly fight a losing battle. If he couldn't win, he would flee.
The group returned to Canglan Island. Meng Chong and Su Lingxiu continued their diligent cultivation, striving to enter the Spirit Realm again soon.
Xu Yan's mother had also made a firm resolution. Determined not to be a burden to her exceptional son, she began cultivating diligently, an unprecedented two hours a day!
Shi Er and Zhou Ying also worked hard, breaking through to the minor achievement and major achievement stages of the innate realm, respectively.
Xu Junhe's strength had also improved, reaching the innate realm's great perfection stage.
Li Xuan took the time to give him some guidance as well.
...
In the Spirit Realm, Yuzhou, Zheng Kingdom.
The greatest event in the entire Zheng Kingdom was undoubtedly the discovery of the Green Sky Flood Dragon Tomb.
Various Spirit Sects and noble families sent their young generations to enter the tomb and obtain the treasures within.
Aside from the Green Jade Tree and Dragon Eye Fruit, there were surely other treasures in the tomb, and there was even a high possibility that it contained the lifetime collection of the Green Sky Flood Dragon, a legendary and formidable existence among the Spirit Beasts.
The Green Sky Flood Dragon was once notorious across the Eighteen Provinces, devouring even God Refiners in its path.
Rumor had it that it attempted to transform into a true dragon but failed, and its final whereabouts were unknown. No one knew where it had fallen.
Occasionally, there were rumors in the Spirit Realm's martial arts world that the Green Sky Flood Dragon had built itself a grand tomb before its death.
However, this could never be confirmed.
Now that the Green Sky Flood Dragon Tomb had been discovered, it immediately attracted the attention of the major Spirit Sects and noble families in Yuzhou. Even the first Spirit Sect of Yuzhou, the Jade God Sect, had sent their prodigies.
There were even rumors that the Spirit Beasts intended to get involved, but Yuzhou was not within their sphere of influence, and it would be dangerous for them to intervene.
Spirit Beasts were also considered treasures to human martial artists.
For example, the storage bags were made from the Mountain-Swallowing Toads, a type of Spirit Beast. However, most of these toads were low-ranked and reproduced quickly, with some even being domesticated by the Spirit Sects and noble families to meet the vast demand for storage bags.
In front of the Black Cloud Swamp in Zheng Kingdom, a group of prodigies from various Spirit Sects and noble families arrived one after another, each occupying a favorable position as they waited to enter the Green Sky Flood Dragon Tomb.
The warriors who could come here were all under thirty years old and considered geniuses.
Aside from a handful of teenagers, the weakest among them were at the early stages of the minor celestial realm.
In the Spirit Realm, breaking through to the celestial realm and gathering one's spirit before the age of thirty was considered a genius, and they were destined to become great celestials in the future.
As for God Refiners, not all geniuses could attain that level.
The Black Cloud Swamp was covered in fine black poisonous weeds. As the wind blew, it resembled a rolling black cloud. The entire swamp was enveloped in black mist, and one could only vaguely make out the silhouette of a towering mountain in the center.
That was Black Rock Mountain, a mountain of black rocks imbued with poison.
It was said that over the years, it had been soaked in poison and turned black.
The Green Sky Flood Dragon Tomb was located within Black Rock Mountain.
The Black Cloud Swamp was filled with poisonous miasma, and even great celestial warriors could not stay there for long. The poison corroded the warriors' strength, constantly draining them.
The poison was starting to dissipate, and according to records, the Black Cloud Swamp's poison would disappear for ten days every year before reappearing.
These ten days were the opportunity to enter the Green Sky Flood Dragon Tomb.
With the discovery of the tomb and the knowledge of the swamp's formation, most suspected that it was a result of the Green Sky Flood Dragon's arrangements before its death.
"They're from the Dai clan."
A martial artist commented softly upon witnessing the newcomers' arrival.
"The Dai clan is on the rise. With their connection to Yingying, they might just become a first-rate family in Yuzhou."
Someone else added with a hint of envy.
The Dai clan was only a second-rate family in Yuzhou, but with Dai Yingying's talent and her marriage into the royal family of Zheng Kingdom, their status had improved.
This connection meant that the Dai clan now had a slim chance of associating themselves with the Super Spirit Sect.
The royal family of Zheng Kingdom held a unique position as they were tasked with guarding the entrance to the Spirit Realm, answering directly to several Super Spirit Sects. Despite not being the strongest in Yuzhou, no other power dared to offend them.
Many second and third-rate families and Spirit Sects sought to form alliances through marriage with the royal family, but their standards were exceedingly high, and they rarely agreed to such proposals.
Dai Yingying, blessed with a precious body at birth, caught the eye of the royal family, and thus the Dai clan successfully secured this prestigious union.
"Where's Yingying?"
Dai Jun frowned as he scanned the area.
"Miss said she was going to the lower realm to capture some people to scout the way," a servant beside him replied.
"What's the use of capturing those weaklings from the lower realm?" Dai Jun shook his head in disapproval.
"Have they found the one who vowed to kill Yingying?"
"They're on his trail, and he won't last long."
Dai Jun nodded in satisfaction at the servant's response.
His gaze shifted towards the Black Cloud Swamp, where a towering mountain could barely be discerned through the veil of poisonous mist.
Right at the edge of the swamp was a massive stone that was remarkably free of the toxic fog. This spot was one of the best locations to observe the swamp.
None of the present Spirit Sects or noble families had claimed this stone, as if tacitly acknowledging that it belonged to a particular group.
In the Spirit Realm, the hierarchy was strict. Whenever a significant event occurred and a first-rate Spirit Sect or family participated, the second and third-rate groups would instinctively leave the choice spots unoccupied, respecting the unspoken rules of their world.
No one dared to infringe upon these conventions, lest they bring disaster upon themselves.
And so, this large stone, despite its prime and level location, remained unclaimed by the other factions.
After learning about the Green Sky Flood Dragon Tomb from Dai Yingying, Xu Yan immediately decided to join the expedition. He couldn't afford to miss out on such a treasure-laden opportunity, which could accelerate his progress towards the Divine Intent Realm.
"The Spirit Realm is truly abundant!"
Xu Yan couldn't help but exclaim after inspecting Dai Yingying's storage bag.
The lowest grade spirit herbs he found were of the sixth grade, and there were even several fourth-grade spirit herbs among them.
As for the various bottles and jars, they contained pills made from spirit herbs. In Xu Yan's eyes, this was a waste of precious resources, even though the grade of the spirit herbs used wasn't low.
Their efficacy paled in comparison to the pills he carried.
The Spirit Realm seemed to have something similar to spirit tickets as well, but they weren't issued by a single power. Instead, he found three different types of spirit tickets from several major forces in Dai Yingying's bag.
There weren't many spirit tickets, but there was an abundance of spirit crystals.
"The spirit crystals in the Spirit Realm are much better than those in the Inner Realm. They contain so much more spiritual energy."
Xu Yan was impressed.
These spirit crystals were comparable to five or six Inner Realm spirit crystals in terms of spiritual energy.
"Carrying tens of thousands of spirit crystals around, what a little rich girl. It's a pity she had a death wish. If only she had been as generous as Miss Du, she wouldn't have met such an end."
Xu Yan shook his head, reflecting on the wasted potential.
"Ahead lies the Black Cloud Swamp."
In the distance, a dark haze loomed, marking the location of the Black Cloud Swamp, the supposed resting place of the Green Sky Flood Dragon according to Dai Yingying.
"This poisonous miasma is quite something."
Xu Yan couldn't help but exclaim as he approached the swamp. Even with his current strength, staying within the swamp for a day and a night would deplete a significant portion of his true essence.
No wonder the martial artists of the Spirit Realm were waiting for the miasma to dissipate before venturing into the Green Sky Flood Dragon Tomb.
Xu Yan looked around and noticed that aside from a few young men and women, the rest were all nearing thirty years of age, and the weakest among them were in the early stages of the Minor Celestial Realm.
The strongest person present was a young man in a green robe, who had reached the late stage of the Minor Celestial Realm.
He was alone and had claimed a favorable spot for himself.
Xu Yan's gaze landed on the unoccupied giant stone, and he immediately chose to land on it.
This spot was his now.
As for the rules and customs of the Spirit Realm, Xu Yan was largely ignorant. Dai Yingying had provided a brief introduction, but it was far from comprehensive.
Moreover, Dai Yingying herself might not have been privy to all the intricacies.
Xu Yan's arrival drew the attention of the gathered martial artists, and their eyes widened in surprise when they saw him take the giant stone as his own.
"Is he a scion of a first-rate Spirit Sect or family?"
"I've never seen that emblem before. Which family in Yuzhou does it belong to?"
"Could he be a rogue cultivator?"
"Don't be ridiculous. A rogue cultivator wouldn't dare claim that spot."
The crowd buzzed with confusion and curiosity.
In the Spirit Realm's martial arts world, the major Spirit Sects and noble families had distinct emblems that marked their clothing, making it easy to identify their affiliation.
The emblems of the prominent families and Sects in Yuzhou were well-known to one another.
However, Xu Yan's attire, though not ordinary, lacked any such emblem, giving the impression that he was a rogue cultivator.
During such a significant event, it was customary for the scions of major factions to wear their respective emblems proudly.
While there had been instances of rogue cultivators impersonating members of Spirit Sects or families, those individuals had met swift and brutal ends, their ashes scattered to the wind. In all of Yuzhou, only a handful of rogue cultivators dared to attempt such a risky deception.
"Could he be from outside Yuzhou?" someone speculated.
"Unlikely. He doesn't bear any emblem at all. He looks like a rogue cultivator to me."
"What if he's just not wearing his family's emblem?"
"During events like this, where various powers gather, one would definitely wear their emblem. Firstly, to intimidate the smaller factions, and secondly, so that even in death, their identity is known, and their sect or family can seek vengeance..."
The others found this reasoning persuasive.
So, was this young man truly a rogue cultivator? When did Zheng Kingdom produce such an audacious rogue cultivator?
The heirs of the major factions couldn't help but revel in the potential spectacle about to unfold.
That giant stone was commonly acknowledged as belonging to the Shen family, one of the first-rate families in Yuzhou.
For a rogue cultivator to dare claim a spot meant for a first-rate family—was he tired of living?
Moreover, the young man's cultivation seemed to be only at the Grand Master Realm. With such meager strength, did he truly think he could join the exploration of the Green Sky Flood Dragon Tomb? Was he seeking death?
(End of Chapter)
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