Within the Qianren Mountains prowled countless exotic beasts.
A squirrel, emerald green from head to tail, leaped onto a jade tree, squeaking as it nibbled on the tenderest twigs.
Suddenly, it stopped chewing and looked around in bewilderment.
A gentle breeze seemed to glide past.
Whoosh...
When it looked again, there was nothing there. The emerald squirrel scratched its muzzle, thoroughly puzzled.
A faint glint of spectral light skimmed along the ground, casting a glance back at the little creature.
*What sharp senses for an exotic beast. Still, it pales in comparison to that red-robed Daoist. To think he could sense me and nearly pinpointed my true form...*
You Ya slowed her pace, lingering dread churning within her heart.
A crimson robe, a domain, a flying sword, an azure palm, overbearing and peerless fire-attribute magic power, and above all... those eyes holding the stars and moon within them!
When had such a figure emerged in the Northern Sea cultivation world?
To think he could instantly slaughter three peers of the same realm and reverse the odds to slay a ninth-layer Golden Core grand cultivator—all while merely at the sixth layer of Golden Core!
If word got out, probably no one would believe it.
*I wanted to divert disaster eastward, borrow a knife to kill, and play the oriole lurking behind to snatch that top-grade Nine Yang Gengjin. Instead, I almost ended up trapped there forever.*
*Those eyes...*
You Ya swallowed hard, her slender frame trembling faintly.
Master Red Corpse was by no means weak!
Even in a direct confrontation, her chances against him were at best sixty to forty. Moreover, he commanded two refined corpses comparable to late Golden Core; once they formed an encirclement, it was hard to say if she could even maintain thirty-seventy odds.
Yet such a powerhouse had lasted a mere three exchanges against the red-robed Daoist before his body perished and his Dao dissolved.
*A bizarre wide-area spell that interferes with the flow of magic power, somewhat resembling a Nascent Soul Perfected Person's domain.*
*Explosive, instantaneous speed, arriving like thunder bursting through the sky.*
*A silent, imperceptible illusion triggered the moment eyes meet, paired with extraordinarily keen perception.*
*This man is my absolute counter! If I don't run into him again, fine, but if I do, I must never make an enemy of him.*
In just a brief moment, relying on what she had observed in secret, You Ya analyzed the red-robed Daoist's methods and reached her conclusion.
Suddenly.
Her figure halted before an abandoned cave.
Her expression shifted uncertainly.
*Now that this secret realm has opened, it has drawn countless experts to explore it. If even an unheard-of Golden Core cultivator is this formidable, what of those renowned figures?*
*I thought that by relying on my fully mastered Nether Shadow Escape, I would be like a fish in water here. Now it seems I was being far too naive.*
*No, my current techniques are insufficient. I must take another step forward!*
*Fortunately, I have a treasure on hand that can elevate my escape technique to the next level.*
The woman pushed back her hood, revealing an exquisite yet glistening dark face. With a flick of her hand, the mass of Blue Evolution Lead manifested.
With the help of this material, not only would her concealment become far more formidable, but she could even artificially generate patches of shadow, breaking free of the shadow escape technique's innate constraints.
If she truly cultivated it to that level, let alone the red-robed Daoist, even a Nascent Soul Perfected Person would be hard-pressed to perceive where her true body lay.
Having made her choice, You Ya hesitated no longer and stepped into the abandoned cave.
***
At the very center of the Land of the Fallen Demon.
A heaven-spanning tornado churned the wind and clouds, turning without end.
Several figures streaked through the air, arriving in a flash.
Looking up at the colossal vortex of spiritual energy, awe showed in all of their eyes.
The leader was a handsome man dressed in robes red as fresh blood.
After gazing at the distant vortex for a moment, he said softly, "To think the Yao race's powerhouses beat us to it and entered the inheritance ground ahead of us."
A cold, elegant woman behind him said frostily, "If you hadn't insisted on gathering resources, how could Cape Granny and the others have gotten ahead?"
The handsome man chuckled. "Feileng, there's no need to worry. If this inheritance were truly that easy to obtain, my Yuan Demon Sect would have swept it all up over the past thousand years. How would it ever be our turn?"
This cold woman was none other than Fairy Feileng, renowned across the Northern Sea cultivation world.
She frowned slightly. "Blood Nightmare, I don't care about any inheritance. I only want to retrieve what was left behind back then."
"What on earth could it be to keep you longing for it like this?" Blood Nightmare Moluo asked, deeply curious.
"Merely a painting!"
Fairy Feileng replied curtly, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
Blood Nightmare Moluo smiled. "Very well. Since I gave my word, I will naturally honor it. Besides, I also want to find the place where my sect's ancestor sat in meditation. Let us go. We must enter the teleportation formation first; that inheritance ground lies in another heaven, and without the formation, one cannot enter at all."
With a wave of his sleeve, he took the lead and walked forward.
Fairy Feileng followed closely behind, but after two steps, she furrowed her brows and looked back.
"Third Elder?"
Behind them stood an old Daoist with transcendent bearing.
His name was Jiyuan, hailing from the Penglai Immortal Sect.
At that moment, he was gazing back reluctantly at the landscape behind them. "What a pity to leave behind the countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures in this Land of the Fallen Demon."
Fairy Feileng frowned. She knew very well that once they entered the inheritance ground, there was no turning back.
This secret realm held myriad treasures rarely seen in the outside world—precious even to Nascent Soul Perfected Persons like them.
It was understandable that Elder Jiyuan, entering for the first time, felt reluctant to part with them.
Without turning his head, Blood Nightmare Moluo said, "Trivial external objects can be gathered by those juniors on our behalf. Our top priority right now is to enter the inheritance ground and seek the opportunity for Soul Formation!"
The moment the words 'opportunity for Soul Formation' fell, Old Daoist Jiyuan finally relinquished his greed.
Rather than relinquished, it had merely been supplanted by an even greater greed.
"Fellow Daoist Blood Nightmare speaks the truth. It was this old man who was short-sighted. Let us go!"
Old Daoist Jiyuan smiled and followed the two, arriving at the base where the heaven-spanning vortex of spiritual energy converged.
Deep within a gloomy abyss.
The moment he landed, Old Daoist Jiyuan nervously surveyed his surroundings.
The abyss was desolate, silent, and devoid of any living aura.
Only clusters of mushrooms grew in the narrow crevices of the rock face.
"Strange?"
Old Daoist Jiyuan plucked a mushroom, utterly bewildered.
"This is where the spiritual energy pours in, so why do these mushrooms lack even a shred of spiritual qi?"
Blood Nightmare Moluo was equally puzzled. Most of his knowledge of the Land of the Fallen Demon came from sect records; this was his first time setting foot inside.
If anyone was truly familiar with this place, it was Fairy Feileng, who had visited once before.
Seeing both men looking toward her, Fairy Feileng gave a soft huff.
"Don't look at me. This place is bizarre—how could I possibly know? Besides, when I came here back then, I was merely in the late Golden Core realm, brought along as a..."
She trailed off, an unsightly expression surfacing on her face.
Blood Nightmare Moluo waved his hand. "Enough, let us set this aside for now and prepare to enter!"
"How do we enter?" Old Daoist Jiyuan asked curiously.
Blood Nightmare Moluo took a deep breath and pointed toward the bottomless abyss.
"This abyss has no bottom. Normally, anyone who enters will become lost inside. Only when the ruins open and spiritual energy pours in to form a vortex will the teleportation formation reveal itself."
"We merely need to jump into that vortex, ride the current upward, and find the formation."
"Am I correct, Fairy Feileng?"
The woman nodded. "Indeed. However, let me emphasize one point: do not resist when you enter. Treat yourself as a part of the heaven-and-earth spiritual energy. Otherwise, you will be repelled by the formation."
Hearing this, Old Daoist Jiyuan's expression changed slightly.
"With such violent heaven-and-earth spiritual energy, if we don't resist, won't we be severely injured if not killed outright?"
Blood Nightmare Moluo looked at him calmly, a hint of speechlessness in his eyes.
Fairy Feileng said softly, "It is very simple. Unfurl your Nascent Soul domain and briefly fuse with heaven and earth."
*So that's how it is!*
Old Daoist Jiyuan had a sudden flash of realization.
Although fusing with heaven and earth carried considerable risk for a Nascent Soul, doing so for a brief moment posed no harm.
"Let's go!"
Blood Nightmare Moluo waved his wide sleeves and leaped into the violent vortex, the other two following closely behind.
As the three entered, a faint, rumbling roar echoed from the depths of the abyss.
Amidst that rumbling sound, within a fissure on the cliff face, a fleshy mass of tissue trembled slightly.
With that tremor, specks of dust were scattered outward.
Most of it fell into the abyss.
A small portion clung to the rock wall, either turning into green moss or transforming into tiny mushrooms.
Only a minute fraction was swept out of the abyss by the fierce gale of the spiritual energy vortex.
As these particles were shaken loose, the aura of the fleshy mass withered slightly.
It cast a venomous glance into the bottomless abyss, then peered toward the outside world through the sunless fissure.
"Coming... It is coming."
***
"The Land of the Fallen Demon comprises three heavens: one is Liwang Heaven, another is the Five Elements Heaven, and the third is Yemingzhao, also called Mingzhao Heaven."
"You have already experienced Liwang Heaven. It is covered in countless illusions, dazzling with kaleidoscopic colors where one false step leads to eternal entrapment. In particular, those whose Dao hearts are not steadfast or who have flaws in their divine souls are easily trapped inside. Ding Yi died precisely because of this; his divine soul was wounded by my remnant thoughts years ago, leaving him unable to pass through Liwang Heaven."
"It also serves as a natural barrier isolating this realm from the outside world. Rumor has it that Liwang Heaven was not set up to defend against cultivators, but was constructed against the legendary Heavenly Demons. Inside, you did not trigger Liwang Heaven's true might at all; what you saw was merely the tip of the iceberg."
"As for Mingzhao Heaven, I have never been there. But that is what your human cultivators refer to as the inheritance ground. Over the past millennium, I have seen many Yuan Demon Sect powerhouses charge inside, not lacking even Soul Formation grand masters!"
Three streaks of light flew cautiously amidst the Qianren Mountains.
They took care to skirt the loftier peaks and avoided setting foot in territories occupied by exotic beasts whenever possible.
Taisui, currently possessing Ding Yi's physical body, satisfied Luo Chen's curiosity by explaining the layout of this secret realm.
Luo Chen listened intently, interrupting to ask for thorough details whenever he encountered something he did not understand.
Upon learning that they had not triggered the full might of Liwang Heaven, he felt a wave of relief.
Taisui, however, was somewhat astonished. "You said you encountered the Bewildering Heart Illusion?"
Luo Chen was puzzled. "Is there something amiss with that?"
Taisui said uncertainly, "If I recall correctly, the Bewildering Heart Illusion was a barrier set specifically for Heavenly Demons. You..."
Cave Master Moyun looked at him with slight alarm. "Demon Lord, you couldn't be a Heavenly Demon, could you?"
Luo Chen's expression tightened before he snorted. "Have you ever seen a Heavenly Demon at merely the Golden Core stage?"
That was true enough!
Legendary Heavenly Demons were formless and bodiless, capable of traversing the boundaries between realms.
Normally, they would never appear, arriving opportunistically only during tribulation transcendence when a cultivator's divine soul fused with heaven and earth.
Luo Chen was merely at the Golden Core stage; how could he possibly be a Heavenly Demon?
Taisui also realized this. "It is likely because you carry too much slaughter and your heart is clouded, accidentally triggering the Bewildering Heart Illusion!"
Luo Chen curled his lip. "Tell me about the Five Elements Heaven among the three."
Though he wore an indifferent facade, a faint shadow settled over his heart.
Taisui cleared his throat and explained what the Five Elements Heaven was.
"The master of this place possessed supreme cultivation, profound and unfathomable. Using the power of the Five Elements Laws, he partitioned it into five domains. These five domains are the Qianren Mountains, the Wood Sky Plain, Yue Canglan, the Blazing Purgatory, and the Quicksand Sea. Each location gathers vast quantities of Five Elements essence. Not only that, but he used a grand divine ability to enlighten the Five Elements essence, turning them into spirits and goblins so that the five domains cycle endlessly and perpetually regenerate."
"And these five domains combined are the Five Elements Heaven!"
These brief words landed like a thunderclap.
Luo Chen and Han Zhan, who resided within him, wore expressions of utter disbelief.
Luo Chen came to an abrupt halt in midair.
"How is that possible? Even if he were a Void Refining True Monarch, it would be impossible to master all five elements' laws, let alone enlighten spirits and goblins!"
Taisui stopped as well, gazing at him with an eerie, peculiar look as he murmured, "He was indeed a Void Refining True Monarch, but not an ordinary one. He was the greatest Void Refining True Monarch throughout all eternity."
What kind of look was that?
Awe, worship, filial devotion, yet mingled with resentment and terror.
All manner of emotions were tangled together.
Cave Master Moyun shook his head. "If that is truly the case, mastering the five elemental laws is genuinely terrifying."
"Far more than just five elements!"
Amidst Luo Chen and Moyun's astonishment, Taisui whispered, "The True Monarch was a peerless genius rarely seen in tens of millions of years. Cultivation was as simple as eating and drinking to him. At the very least, I witnessed him wield no fewer than ten kinds of law powers."
The corner of Luo Chen's mouth twitched. "Fellow Daoist Taisui, are you still describing a human?"
He was beginning to suspect that Taisui was deliberately exaggerating the realm's master to intimidate them.
Yet Taisui nodded matter-of-factly.
"He was indeed not human, but a demon—half-human, half-demon! He even possessed Celestial Yao blood! Of course, you could also say he was an existence that was neither human, nor yao, nor demon."
This time, Luo Chen fell completely silent.
Only after a long while did he ask softly, "What was his name?"
"The True Monarch's name? How could an insignificant being like me know? But I once heard an apex powerhouse who broke into this realm address him as the Heaven Refining Demon Lord!"
*The Heaven Refining Demon Lord!*
Silently mouthing this Daoist title, Luo Chen resumed his journey.
No wonder this place was called the Land of the Fallen Demon.
So the master of this realm had been a powerhouse of the Demon race.
He wished to ask for more information, but Taisui was unwilling to say more.
Or rather, he simply did not know much more.
According to Taisui's explanation, most of the living beings in this realm were spirits enlightened by the Heaven Refining Demon Lord through grand divine abilities, while a minority were spiritual beings like himself who had resided here for an eternity and gradually developed sentience.
For instance, that Five Elements Lotus Platform could be considered Taisui's junior.
It was just that after finally developing a sliver of sentience, before it could even advance to Tier 5, it had been targeted by Luo Chen and the others.
Because he had existed here since his consciousness first formed, Taisui did not know much about the Heaven Refining Demon Lord's life.
What he knew was merely the tip of the iceberg.
***
Five days later.
Three figures descended upon a stretch of low hills.
Behind them lay the Qianren Mountains, bristling like a forest of sharp blades.
"Within the Five Elements Heaven, the Qianren Mountains are the wealthiest yet also the most perilous. Over the years, even when Yuan Demon Sect powerhouses entered to explore, they dared not be too reckless. That is because many powerful Tier 4 exotic beasts dwell within, and there is even a slumbering Tier 5 Iron-Devouring exotic beast."
"Our next route leads to the Blazing Purgatory. Your Five Elements Lotus Platform is currently within that purgatory."
Taisui let out a long breath, speaking slowly.
Luo Chen gazed into the distance, seeing no purgatory, only an ocean of sand.
"Let us cross this Quicksand Sea first!"
Chapter 662