Chapter 272: Wuling Island

Chapter 272: Wuling Island

Chu Ning saw the white mist in the distance.

Iron Lion, just a few dozen feet away, naturally saw it too.

At this moment, both of them could only think of fleeing. As they saw the mist rolling towards them, they instinctively turned and flew in the opposite direction.

Although Chu Ning vaguely sensed the astonishing spiritual energy within the white mist, his spiritual sense couldn't penetrate it at all.

Of course, if there was a chance to avoid it, he would take it.

However, very soon, Chu Ning's heart sank.

The white mist was spreading too fast, much faster than his speed.

If this continued, in less than fifty miles, he would be caught up to.

After consuming another drop of the Thousand-Year Spirit Milk, Chu Ning pushed his Godly Wind Escape Technique to its limit.

Instead of fleeing forward, he flew towards the side, trying to evade the endless white mist in front of him.

However, it soon became apparent that Chu Ning's choice was ineffective.

The white mist stretched as far as the eye could see, seemingly filling the entire space.

Chu Ning could only grit his teeth and continue flying forward, reluctantly watching as the mist drew closer.

In the blink of an eye, the distance between him and the mist was less than a thousand feet.

"Spatial Storm! This thing is a spatial storm!"

At this moment, Iron Lion, who was also fleeing, shouted out loud.

Hearing Iron Lion's words, Chu Ning's heart sank slightly.

He had, of course, heard of spatial storms, which were said to often originate from spatial fissures.

They were filled with unpredictable spatial forces.

If one was caught in it, they would be transported by these spatial forces, but the destination was completely random.

It could be nearby, tens of thousands of miles away, or even directly into the spatial fissure that spawned the storm.

"In that case, this spatial storm most likely originated from the top of that mountain range."

Chu Ning had a vague guess.

Realizing that continuing forward wouldn't help, Chu Ning sighed inwardly and immediately activated the Earth Spirit Rock Armor Technique and the Undying Golden Body protection.

The next moment, the white mist enveloped him, obscuring his figure.

...

At Honghu Lake, the Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators from the three camps were paying close attention to the movements within the three spatial interfaces.

However, after the people had entered, there was no further sound or activity.

All they could do was wait patiently on the outskirts.

"This time, I wonder which sect or alliance will be lucky enough to obtain the Golden Spirit Herb.

If one of those late-stage Golden Core cultivators gets it, there's an eighty percent chance that we'll have one more Nascent Soul cultivator.

For any alliance, having one more Nascent Soul cultivator is a significant boost in strength."

These were the thoughts running through the minds of the Nascent Soul cultivators present.

But they also knew that where there were winners, there would also be losers.

That was the cruel reality of the cultivation world.

The competition for rare resources often resulted in countless casualties.

As for the sects that didn't have late-stage Golden Core cultivators participating, they could only hope that their members would be able to obtain a wisp of spiritual essence or bring out some heavenly treasures from this spiritual domain.

The heavenly treasures found within these spiritual realms were often things that couldn't be found in the outside world.

Time slowly passed as everyone waited with anticipation.

Then, at one point, the gazes of many Nascent Soul cultivators suddenly turned towards a particular direction.

"Such intense spatial fluctuations! Could it be that the spirit herb has been obtained, and this spiritual domain is about to disappear?"

Among the Cloudsoar Alliance, Qin Changkong, the alliance leader, was the first to sense the spatial fluctuations.

The next moment, the other Nascent Soul cultivators and numerous Golden Core cultivators also noticed the intense spatial fluctuations.

Immediately, everyone flew towards the point where the fluctuations were the strongest.

Not only the people from the Cloudsoar Alliance, but also those from the Skyextreme Alliance and the Demon Path Alliance did the same.

Soon, the cultivators gathered on an unnamed mountain peak within what used to be the Skyextreme Alliance's territory.

Naturally, the Skyextreme Alliance cultivators were the first to arrive.

However, they didn't stop the others from coming.

After all, the previous land grab had only been for the spatial interfaces, and now that all the cultivators who could enter had already done so.

Moreover, they didn't want to incur the wrath of the other alliances.

Just as the cultivators had gathered for a while, the spatial fluctuations in this area became even more violent.

Immediately after, everyone felt a dazzling white light flash by.

The next moment, the intense fluctuations suddenly disappeared.

And in front of them, more than twenty cultivators appeared.

Seeing these twenty-plus people, the cultivators present first lit up with excitement, but then many of their faces sank slightly.

One of the Golden Core cultivators even exclaimed in surprise.

"Why are there so few people? There were a total of two hundred people from the three alliances, and only about twenty have come out. Where are the others?"

"What happened in there?"

The Nascent Soul cultivators present also had somber expressions.

Of course, they knew that there would definitely be casualties this time.

However, at the Golden Core stage, even a slight difference in cultivation level wouldn't make it easy to kill each other.

Moreover, only a small portion of the cultivators who entered were at the early Golden Core stage.

So, everyone speculated that the casualty rate would be around one to two percent.

But now, only about ten percent had come out.

Such a high casualty rate was something none of the three alliances could bear.

Especially for the Demon Path Alliance and the Skyextreme Alliance, they noticed that even their leaders hadn't appeared.

Both sides stared intently at He Feng, the cultivator with the highest cultivation level among those who had come out.

When Qin Changkong saw this, his figure flashed, and he stood in front of He Feng, blocking him from view.

"Cultivators of the Cloudsoar Alliance, quickly return to your base and give a detailed account of what happened in the spiritual domain."

Hearing Qin Changkong's words, the late-stage Golden Core cultivators from the Skyextreme Alliance and the Demon Path Alliance looked at them deeply.

On the Cloudsoar Alliance's side, only six people emerged this time. They were He Feng and Jia Yumin from the Returning Origin Peak, Luo Jie from the Nineflower Peak, and three other Golden Core cultivators from different sects.

As the leader of this expedition, He Feng naturally took the initiative to explain the situation to everyone.

After hearing He Feng's words, the crowd fell silent.

Qin Changkong sighed softly after a moment of thought. "Losing more than half of our members after passing through the spatial fissure, then engaging in battle and being transported away by a spatial storm... The Golden Spirit Herb has also gone missing. Did any of you obtain the Spiritual Essence?"

He Feng and the others exchanged glances, but no one responded.

Seeing this, the crowd fell into an even deeper silence.

Jia Yumin sighed softly, "Sister Xue Rong told me that she obtained a wisp of Spiritual Essence. But after the Spirit Herb escaped and teleported away, we never saw her again."

Qin Changkong's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this.

Shixuerong was a genius cultivator from the Returning Origin Peak, and she cultivated a metal-attribute technique. If she had obtained the Spiritual Essence, it would have been a great opportunity for her. But now, she was nowhere to be seen.

At this moment, Tang Xuan looked at Luo Jie, and upon realizing that he hadn't obtained the Spiritual Essence, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

However, compared to the fact that Yuan Zhuo and Chu Ning hadn't reappeared, Luo Jie's lack of the Spiritual Essence wasn't as concerning to him.

Tang Xuan frowned slightly and asked, "Being caught in a spatial storm and transported away doesn't necessarily mean they've perished. They might have been sent to another location. He Shizhi, Luo Shizhi, do you know which cultivators from our alliance entered the core area where the Golden Spirit Herb was located?"

"Yes, we do," He Feng replied.

Luo Jie immediately added, "Master, Senior Brother Yuan and Junior Brother Chu both entered the core area."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xuan heaved a huge sigh of relief.

He Feng and the others then began to list the identities of the more than twenty cultivators who had entered the core area.

Hearing these names, the expressions of the crowd varied.

Those who appeared there at least indicated that they had not perished before reaching the core area.

And those who didn't appear were most likely to have fallen beforehand.

Seeing the crowd's expressions, Qin Changkong spoke in a low voice, "Alright, fellow daoists, we now have a clear understanding of what happened in the spirit domain. Next, let's discuss another matter. If I'm not mistaken, the ones who competed for the Golden Spirit Herb were most likely the Extraterritorial Celestial Demons. The fact that they've appeared on our Western Alliance Continent is a major event..."

.....

Moist and carrying a hint of the sea's scent.

This was Chu Ning's first impression after landing.

Although the environment was exceptionally foreign, what relieved Chu Ning was that he was still alive.

He hadn't been transported into a spatial fissure.

Looking around, Chu Ning realized that he was currently in a mountain valley.

There weren't many trees in the vicinity, and most of them were species he didn't recognize.

His line of sight was obstructed, but the sound of waves crashing in the distance was unmistakable.

Chu Ning guessed that he was currently on an island.

When Chu Ning attempted to probe his surroundings with his spiritual sense, his expression changed slightly.

His spiritual sense seemed to be unable to leave his body at this moment.

Even though he could feel the presence of spiritual liquid in his sea of consciousness, Chu Ning couldn't utilize his spiritual sense at all.

The next moment, Chu Ning noticed something else unusual.

There was no spiritual energy here. Not a trace of it could be felt.

"How is this possible?"

Chu Ning's face was filled with bewilderment. Whether it was on the East Sacred Continent or the Western Alliance Continent, Chu Ning had visited several places.

Even in mortal cities, the spiritual energy was merely thin and not suitable for cultivation.

But this was the first time he had encountered a place where he couldn't sense any spiritual energy at all.

And when Chu Ning tried to drive the power within his body, he was equally astonished to find that he couldn't do so.

This place seemed to be one where neither spiritual power nor spiritual sense could be used.

However, Chu Ning could still sense the condition of his body.

At this moment, in his dantian, there was a tri-colored Golden Core, as well as a golden seed.

Next to them were six strands of golden Spiritual Essence.

They were all quietly resting in his dantian, and although Chu Ning could sense their presence, he couldn't mobilize them at all.

But Chu Ning could feel the strength that his physical body had gained from the Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique.

Chu Ning raised his hand and tried to strike out with the Heaven Shaking Fist.

Although it lacked the power it would have had with spiritual energy, the enhanced physical strength from the Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique remained.

This slightly relieved Chu Ning.

At least, even if he couldn't use other means, he could still utilize the secret techniques of the Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique.

Moreover, he had already cultivated the Undying Golden Body to perfection, completing the second volume and the first transformation. Even if he couldn't use spiritual power for the Undying Golden Body's protection, his physical body's defense was still intact.

If there were rules in this place that prevented everyone from using spiritual power and spiritual sense, it wouldn't be too detrimental to him.

However, it seemed that he couldn't even open his storage bag or beast bag, which was a bit troublesome.

Nevertheless, for now, he could only take things one step at a time.

Chu Ning looked up at the endless mountains behind him and decided to head towards the nearby seaside.

"How is this sea like the Boundless Sea..."

Chu Ning furrowed his brows as he gazed upon the pitch-black seawater.

Based on the information he had obtained from both the Qingxi Sect and the Jiuhua Sect, Chu Ning knew that the continents of the Tianyan Realm were separated by the Boundless Sea.

For example, the East Sacred Continent and the Western Alliance Continent were divided by this very sea.

Like the Northern Shore Country, the birthplace of Shen Meng Shangren, which was connected to the Western Alliance Continent by the Heavenly Grassland.

However, to its east, west, and north, there lay the endless expanse of the Boundless Sea.

"Could it be that I've arrived at a region near the Boundless Sea on the Western Alliance Continent?"

This thought flashed through Chu Ning's mind as he looked up.

However, the sea before him seemed infinite, making it impossible to discern any direction.

"For now, I should explore this island and see if there are any other humans around or any clues that can be found."

As Chu Ning pondered, suddenly, a series of voices reached his ears. Although the pronunciation sounded somewhat odd, he could still understand them.

"Quick, chase after it! Don't let that beast get away!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning didn't rashly rush forward. Instead, he hid behind a reef by the seaside, peering through the crevices. He saw a red-furred wolf-like yao beast with crimson fur bolting forward.

"Why does this wolf possess yao energy fluctuations?"

Even though this yao beast only had the strength of a high-level first-stage yao beast, nearing the perfection of Qi Refining, it still surprised Chu Ning greatly.

Since this place lacked spiritual energy, how could this yao beast attain such power?

It even seemed to be approaching the level of a second-stage yao beast, comparable to the Foundation Establishment stage.

"It seems there are other secrets to this place."

Chu Ning pondered silently as he continued to observe. Behind the crimson-furred wolf, seven or eight people wielding various weapons were in hot pursuit.

Although these people didn't exhibit any signs of spiritual power, each of them possessed exceptional agility.

"Body Refining cultivators! These people are actually Body Refining cultivators, and several of them are at the second stage, equivalent to the mid Qi Refining stage."

Surprise flashed across Chu Ning's face once more.

Seeing that these people were doing their best yet still couldn't catch up to the red-furred wolf, Chu Ning thought for a moment before stepping out from his hiding spot. He picked up a stone from the ground and threw it forcefully at the wolf.

Even though his body no longer possessed any spiritual power, the strength enhanced by the Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique amplified his throw.

The stone shot through the air like a meteor, and before the wolf could react, it struck it squarely.

"Aooww!"

The wolf let out a mournful howl before convulsing and collapsing to the ground.

The pursuers behind it were all stunned, coming to a halt. The next moment, they looked at Chu Ning, who had just emerged from his hiding spot, with astonished faces.

Among them, a robust man in his thirties, clad in beast hide clothing with beast teeth and bones hanging from his waist, seemed to be the leader.

He exchanged glances with his companions before cautiously asking Chu Ning, "Thank you, warrior, for lending a hand. You seem unfamiliar, may I ask who you are?"

Listening to this slightly odd pronunciation, Chu Ning felt a little awkward, but he still cupped his hands and replied, "My name is Chu Ning, and I've just arrived here..."

"You're from outside the island!"

Before Chu Ning could finish, the robust man interrupted, his face bearing a strange expression.

Chu Ning knew that he had deduced this from his accent, so he simply nodded.

Then, he cupped his hands again and asked, "Brother, you mentioned 'outside the island.' May I ask what this island is called and where it is located?"

Upon hearing Chu Ning's question, the robust man's face twisted in confusion.

"You don't know what this island is? Then how did you end up here?"

"I arrived here by accident," Chu Ning answered.

The robust man still looked perplexed after hearing this.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "This place is called Wuling Island. As for its location, we don't know either.

We've never left this island, and we've never seen anyone from outside before.

We've only heard about it, and you're the first outsider we've ever met."

"Wuling Island," Chu Ning murmured softly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The name of the island seemed quite fitting.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

Since this island was called Wuling Island, it implied that at least some people here knew that the outside world possessed spiritual energy.

It also meant that this island wasn't as isolated from the rest of the world as the robust man had suggested.

At that moment, Chu Ning asked eagerly, "Brother, do you know if anyone on this island has any knowledge about the outside world?"

The robust man looked at Chu Ning, then at the red-furred wolf at his feet, his expression hesitant.

Chu Ning lifted his foot and kicked the wolf's corpse towards the man.

Smiling, he said, "Don't worry, brother. I don't have any ill intentions. I just happened to end up here and was wondering if there's a way to leave.

If you want this wolf, feel free to take it."

Hearing this, the robust man's eyes lit up.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he finally spoke, "In that case, I'll take you to meet our clan leader. He might know something."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end