Chapter 285: The Mysterious Black Mist

Chapter 285: The Mysterious Black Mist

December 8th, 2024

"Your Death Servant, Gu Wu, has successfully advanced to the first level of the Dao Palace Realm after a period of secluded cultivation."

"Gu Wu's creation, the Celestial Martial Sect, has grown in strength and gradually annexed Jingyun Mansion."

"Gu Wu's military might has caused various sects to crumble and fall."

"Gu Wu established the Jingyun Alliance, and ninety percent of the vast Jingyun Mansion has joined the alliance."

"Your Death Servant, Hong Ye, has broken through to the sixth level of the Divine Transformation Realm."

"Hong Ye's creation, the Netherworld Pavilion, has gradually expanded its business, eventually angering an ancient sacred land, which led to the Netherworld Pavilion suffering a heavy blow."

"Your Death Servant..."

"Gu Yuan inadvertently opened an ancient seal, releasing terrifying malevolent spirits that wreaked havoc in the area."

"Gu Yuan was contaminated by ominous blood, causing his cultivation to skyrocket, but at the same time, his spiritual intelligence was erased, and he fell into darkness, becoming a malevolent spirit himself."

"Your Death Servant..."

...

As Gu Qingfeng looked at the information panel for the Death Servants, countless words appeared, causing him to feel a bit dizzy.

But when a particular piece of text emerged, Gu Qingfeng's pupils constricted.

"Malevolent spirits!"

This was the first time he had seen any mention of malevolent spirits in the Death Servants' information panel.

To be precise,

This was the first time Gu Qingfeng had seen a Death Servant transform into a malevolent spirit.

All along,

Gu Qingfeng had only speculated about the appearance of malevolent spirits.

Now, seeing the text on the information panel, his long-held suspicions were confirmed.

The emergence of malevolent spirits!

It originated from some mysterious power!

When living beings come into contact with this mysterious power, they fall and transform into malevolent spirits.

"The opening of the ancient seal has led to the emergence of malevolent spirits, but so far, there have been no widespread reports of malevolent spirits wreaking havoc in the Nine Provinces. This indicates that the seal that was broken is not within the Nine Provinces but somewhere else in the Ancient Desolate Realm."

Gu Qingfeng thought to himself.

He had always been extremely wary of the existence of malevolent spirits.

Even with his rapid cultivation progress, he dared not underestimate such beings.

Now,

Witnessing the emergence of malevolent spirits firsthand, Gu Qingfeng knew he had to take it seriously.

However,

The Ancient Desolate Realm was vast, and Gu Qingfeng had no way of knowing where the malevolent spirits had appeared. For the time being, he could only have his Secret Guards discreetly gather information.

---

In a grand sect with a celestial aura, the ground was littered with mutilated corpses, each lying in a tragic death pose, staining the once-peaceful mountain gate with blood-red.

Occasionally, black mist would surge, engulfing the entire sect.

In the center of the black mist, inside the former grand hall, a youth with a dark complexion and crimson eyes sat cross-legged. In front of him stood dozens of corpses with ashen faces, silent and motionless.

The vast hall

was engulfed in deathly silence.

"Go!"

"Slaughter all living beings!"

The youth slowly spoke, his deep voice hoarse.

The previously lifeless corpses now let out a unified inhuman roar.

The next moment,

the black mist spread.

Wherever it passed,

all living beings instantly turned into dry corpses, as if their essence blood had been completely drained.

When the black mist appeared near a nearby city, many cultivators noticed its strange presence.

"Where did this black mist come from?"

"What is this thing?"

"This black mist is mysterious; everyone, be cautious—"

Just as the cultivators were filled with uncertainty, a powerful cultivator at the Divine Transformation Realm soared into the sky, his gaze towards the black mist icy cold.

"Playing tricks!"

"I'll see what you are, daring to cause trouble here!"

As his words fell,

the cultivator at the Divine Transformation Realm directly summoned a longsword. The sharp sword light tore through the void, fiercely striking the black mist.

The black mist churned, and under the attack of such powerful sword energy, it suddenly tore open, revealing the scene within.

When the cultivator at the Divine Transformation Realm saw the scene clearly, his face changed dramatically.

"What is this thing—!!!"

In his line of sight, he saw countless corpses within the black mist, all decaying, infested with maggots, their appearance utterly bizarre.

Before the cultivator at the Divine Transformation Realm could recover from his shock, the black mist that had been split apart suddenly surged and engulfed him.

"Ah!!!

As the cultivator at the Divine Transformation Realm was swallowed by the black mist, the other cultivators only heard a piercing, miserable scream from within, followed by silence.

In this moment, the expressions of the remaining cultivators turned to astonishment and uncertainty.

Just then, the black mist began to spread.

One by one, cultivators were swallowed by the mist, each letting out a chilling scream before disappearing without a trace, like sinking into the depths of the ocean.

The black mist continued to spread, and in no time, the entire city was engulfed.

---

Within the Ancient Beast Mountain Range.

The grand army of the Divine Might Dynasty continued its advance.

As another Dao Palace Realm beast fell, Shi Zhen collected its corpse and looked ahead, a smile appearing on his face.

"The Ancient Beast Mountain Range has finally been breached!"

After several years.

The Divine Might Dynasty had paid a tremendous price, but on this day, they had finally breached the entire Ancient Beast Mountain Range.

Breaching the mountain range.

The Divine Might Dynasty could now use this route as a foundation, expanding in other directions within the mountain range, and even launch an offensive towards the Eastern Region, or retreat to reinforce the Nine Provinces if needed.

At that moment.

Shi Zhen immediately sent word back, and upon receiving the news, Gu Yang's expression lit up with joy.

"Pass on my order to Shi Zhen, instructing him to establish a defensive line of cities based on the Ancient Beast Mountain Range passage, leaving no room for error!"

"Yes!"

Below, a minister promptly bowed and accepted the command.

As Gu Yang issued the order, the fortune of the dynasty surged, and the Six-Leaf Lotus seemed to solidify slightly.

However, few cultivators truly noticed this change.

As the ruler of the dynasty, Gu Yang was naturally the first to detect this omen.

Nevertheless.

Gu Yang wasn't overly surprised by the shift in the dynasty's fortune.

After all, breaching the Ancient Beast Mountain Range meant expanding the dynasty's territory, which would naturally enhance its fortune.

But this increase was not significant, as it wasn't a substantial boost.

If, one day, the Divine Might Dynasty could continue to expand its territory, then its fortune would correspondingly rise.

However, in the end, expanding territory was not as effective as increasing the population.

The best course of action.

Was to annex other imperial dynasties, further strengthening the Divine Might Dynasty itself, and thereby triggering an explosive growth in its fortune.

But Gu Yang wasn't overly anxious.

Breaching the Ancient Beast Mountain Range was just the first step.

Next.

The Divine Might Dynasty's task was to further explore and exploit the resources within the mountain range, thereby enhancing the dynasty's foundation and strength.

Only when the foundation and strength were sufficient would Gu Yang make the next move.

...

Time passed swiftly.

In the first year.

The Divine Might Dynasty, using the Ancient Beast Mountain Range passage as a foundation, established nine ancient cities, and the court dispatched troops to garrison these cities, forming a mutual support system as they expanded in all directions within the mountain range.

In an instant.

The vast Ancient Beast Mountain Range trembled.

Numerous powerful and ancient beasts awakened, but under the might of the Divine Might Dynasty's army, they all met their demise.

During this time.

A Sage Realm beast unleashed its fury, causing significant casualties among the troops. However, Gu Yang personally descended with the Divine Phoenix Tower, severely injuring the beast with his formidable presence.

The Sage Realm beast could only flee in disarray.

From then on.

The Divine Might Dynasty's army became an unstoppable force.

The second year!

The third year!

...

In the following years, the Divine Might Dynasty continuously exploited the resources of the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, strengthening itself, and its power visibly increased.

Other forces grew envious, and many followed suit, sending large numbers of cultivators into the mountain range to plunder its resources.

Alas.

The Ancient Beast Mountain Range was home to countless powerful beasts, and under their onslaught, only a select few could truly reap the benefits.

On this day.

Deep within the mountain range, a blood-red light shot into the sky, followed by eerie black mist engulfing the heavens and earth, consuming all life within.

Immediately.

The news spread like wildfire, and within half an hour, it reached Gu Yang.

"Your Majesty, a strange black mist has appeared in the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, engulfing a thousand-strong team, including elite members of the Divine Might Camp led by a Fifth-Stage Divine Transformation Realm cultivator!" a general reported in a deep voice on the court.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yang's expression turned cold.

"Have you determined the cause of this strange black mist?"

"Not yet, but the mist is expanding. A Dao Palace Realm beast was swallowed by the mist and disappeared without a trace."

To prevent the spread of the Black Mist, our army has temporarily retreated from the forefront. However, judging by the current situation, if we allow the Black Mist to continue growing, it might very well engulf the Nine Cities of the Ancient Beast Mountain Range!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yang's gaze slightly intensified.

The Black Mist, capable of devouring Sage Realm Beasts, was undoubtedly extraordinary.

"Let the army temporarily avoid conflict with the Black Mist. Then, let Shi Zhen carry the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and venture inside to investigate the situation. Even if there's any danger, with his strength and the assistance of the banner, retreating safely shouldn't be an issue."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Gu Yang made his decision.

The extraordinary nature of the Black Mist was evident to anyone with a discerning eye.

Given this situation, it would be unwise to deploy a large number of troops without fully understanding the nature of the Black Mist.

Similarly, abandoning the Nine Cities of the Ancient Beast Mountain Range would render the efforts of the Divine Might Dynasty over the years completely futile.

Therefore, Gu Yang decided to send Shi Zhen, accompanied by the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, to investigate the situation. Even if there were real dangers, with Shi Zhen's capabilities and the support of the banner, a safe retreat was almost guaranteed.

After all, Shi Zhen had already reached the Ninth Level of the Dao Palace Realm, and although the Ten Thousand Souls Banner was not a Sacred Weapon, it was still considered a semi-sage treasure.

Combined, they could even have a chance to retreat when facing a true Sage-level power.

---

"Boom!"

Inside the Blade Forge Hall, blazing flames soared, transforming into myriad heavenly phenomena. It was as if an ultimate divine phoenix had transformed into a blazing sun in the sky, exuding a terrifying might that seemed to melt away everything in its path.

Within the vast hall, numerous sacred weapons trembled violently, as if they could barely withstand such terrifying power.

However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that these weapons were subtly absorbing and refining this power, enhancing their own capabilities.

"Absorb!"

Gu Qingfeng shouted, and all the phenomena and flames were instantly absorbed into his body, disappearing from the void.

Afterward, Gu Qingfeng glanced at his attribute panel.

...

Name: Gu Qingfeng

Age: 74/7000

Realm: Ninth Level of the Sage Realm

Martial Arts: Heavenly Pulse True Scripture (Third Layer), Heaven Sword (Perfected), Great Wilderness Fist Scripture (Perfected), Divine Sun Scripture (Perfected), Ancient Heaven Sword (Perfected), Purple Apex Dao Canon (Perfected), Wind Parting True Scripture (Perfected), Nirvana Dao Scripture (Ninth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm), Heavenly Phoenix Divine Art (Minor Accomplishment), Nine Heavens Heavenly Scripture (Fourth Layer of the Sage Realm), Divine Sky Thunder (Perfected), Northern Dipper Dao Sutra (Perfected), Nine Turns Primordial Technique (Perfected)



Enhancement Points: 11482

...

"The Heavenly Phoenix Divine Art has finally reached Minor Accomplishment!"

A faint smile appeared on Gu Qingfeng's face.

After years of diligent cultivation, the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Art had finally advanced from the entry level to Minor Accomplishment.

Don't underestimate this single-level breakthrough; for a Great Sage Divine Technique, each level-up brings about astonishing changes.

Additionally, Gu Qingfeng had cultivated the Nirvana Dao Scripture to the ninth layer of the Divine Transformation Realm, just one step away from the Dao Palace Realm.

The rest of his martial arts were also nearly perfected.

In terms of Enhancement Points, he had once again broken through the ten-thousand-point threshold.

"With over ten thousand Enhancement Points, it's time to make a breakthrough in the Nine Heavens Heavenly Scripture!"

As Gu Qingfeng made his decision, ten thousand Enhancement Points instantly vanished, and a vast amount of knowledge flooded his mind. Terrifying and profound Vital Energy surged within his body, revitalizing his flesh.

"Boom!"

The majestic Vital Energy seemed to illuminate the void, resembling an ultimate divine sun, causing the temperature within the entire Blade Forge Hall to skyrocket to a frightening degree.

Fortunately, this phenomenon didn't last long and gradually dissipated.

Afterward, Gu Qingfeng closed his eyes, sensing the changes within himself, and a smile reappeared on his face.

"At the Ninth Level of the Sage Realm, with the Nine Heavens Heavenly Scripture now perfected in the Sage Realm, my strength has increased by at least thirty percent!"

Thirty percent might not seem like a significant increase, but at Gu Qingfeng's level, such an improvement would be terrifying if bestowed upon others.

More importantly, with the Nine Heavens Heavenly Scripture reaching perfection in the Sage Realm, Gu Qingfeng was now qualified to breakthrough to the Sage King Realm.

With sufficient Enhancement Points, he could directly enter the Sage King Realm.

At that time, Gu Qingfeng's strength would experience explosive growth.

The breakthrough from the Ninth Level of the Sage Realm to the Sage King Realm required five thousand Enhancement Points, a number that was no challenge for Gu Qingfeng at this point.

With just a few years of accumulation, breaking through to the Sage King Realm would be more than achievable.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end