Chapter 374: Chapter 373: Celestial Dragon Perilous Realm
After that minor incident, Yi Tianyun finished cleaning up and continued toward Coiling Dragon Cave. No one tried to intercept him this time. The Six Brothers of Sealed Dragon were the strongest assassins they had sent, and if even they had failed, it meant their target was far too powerful. It was unlikely anyone below the Void Spirit Stage could handle him.
News of the six brothers’ deaths wouldn’t be getting back anytime soon, as Yi Tianyun had destroyed all traces of their bodies. Only after they had been missing for several weeks, or even months, would their employers realize the assassination had failed. Until then, they would simply assume the brothers were still tracking him.
This was exactly the outcome Yi Tianyun wanted. It would buy him a significant amount of time. By the time his enemies reacted, he would have already returned from Coiling Dragon Cave. In the meantime, Ren Zhirou would be safe. He wouldn’t even need to use the Celestial Dragon Treasure; she was already perfectly secure.
Coiling Dragon Cave was not far from the Imperial City, roughly a week-long journey on foot. However, by flying at top speed, Yi Tianyun could easily reach it in a little over a day.
As he drew closer, he saw more and more Cultivators heading toward the Celestial Dragon Perilous Realm in groups. There were also quite a few traveling alone, seemingly unconcerned about its dangers. Their cultivation levels were all over the place; the lowest were only at the Spirit Refining Stage. ’They really must have a death wish.’ The stronger ones he saw were only at the Spirit Pill Stage. He didn’t see many at the Core Formation Stage, however; they had probably already ventured deep inside the realm.
’This place is surprisingly bustling. Is that really the Celestial Dragon Perilous Realm up ahead?’ Yi Tianyun shook his head. With so many Cultivators flocking over, he wondered if they were just going to watch the excitement from the sidelines.
As he flew forward, he could see a bizarre area in the distance. A mass of black clouds swirled in the sky, and upon closer inspection, they resembled a Giant Dragon coiling in mid-air. A single Giant Dragon, yet it was so immense that it blanketed the entire region.
As he tried to fly closer, he immediately felt an immense pressure radiating from afar, violently forcing him downward. The closer he got, the stronger the force became, until he could no longer resist it and was pushed lower and lower. By the time he reached the very edge of the area, he could only manage to fly about two meters off the ground. Any higher was impossible; at such a low altitude, it was practically a no-fly zone.
At such a low altitude, it was no different than a no-fly zone.
’This power is incredible. The pressure is immense. If I try to fly even a little higher, I get forced right back down...’
Yi Tianyun grew curious about the Celestial Dragon Perilous Realm. He was by no means weak, yet he could only fly a couple of meters high before feeling a weight equivalent to a million pounds pressing down, preventing him from ascending further. When he descended, the pressure rapidly decreased. Once he was walking on the ground, the pressure was significantly weaker, but he could still feel a crushing force of at least several thousand pounds. A Cultivator with too low a cultivation level would be slammed to the ground the moment they stepped inside.
’Unless your cultivation is high enough and your strength is overwhelming, there’s no way to fly here...’ Yi Tianyun knew he could force his way higher, but there seemed to be no point. It would just mean fighting against hundreds of thousands, even millions of pounds of force to ascend, and the higher he went, the greater the pressure would become.
He glanced up, and his Eye of Investigation quickly analyzed the area.
Celestial Dragon Perilous Realm: The sky is filled with potent, swirling Celestial Dragon Power that blankets this region. The pressure increases with proximity. Not recommended for Cultivators below the eighth level of the Spirit Refining Stage. Entry will result in immobilization.
In addition, he could accurately gauge the force at any given altitude. In the highest layer of clouds, the pressure reached nearly one hundred million pounds. Who on earth could withstand that?
At his current limit, he could withstand nearly ten million pounds of force. If he unleashed his full power, he could probably fly a few dozen meters into the air, but the energy drain would be staggering. Unless he needed to escape, there was no reason to force it.
He shifted his gaze back to the Celestial Dragon Perilous Realm itself. Aside from the sky being perpetually dark, the environment seemed normal. It had the expected grass, flowers, and trees and didn’t look particularly dangerous. Besides the constant pressure from above, there was nothing especially strange about it. But then again, this was only the outer edge. If it were this dangerous from the start, no one would ever dare to come here.
Looking around, he saw quite a few Spirit Refining Stage Cultivators lingering in the vicinity. They had no intention of going deeper; they were simply cultivating here on the outskirts. They were treating this place as a training ground, using the significant gravitational pressure to temper themselves. It would certainly be an effective training method.
So that was it. Yi Tianyun had been wondering why they were here. ’They’re just here to train.’ He had just been thinking about how dangerous this place was and how anyone with such a low cultivation level must have a death wish to enter.
After a brief observation, he began walking deeper into the realm. The surrounding Cultivators gave him a passing glance but paid him no further attention. Newcomers were a common sight, and they were used to it. The "perilous" part of the realm’s name only applied to the interior; the outskirts were relatively safe.
As he ventured deeper, the number of Cultivators around him dropped off sharply. Very few people continued onward, and those who did were mostly in well-formed groups. These teams were typically led by experts at the Core Formation Stage or the Spirit Pill Stage.
"I’m Xu Fei. Friend, are you also planning to head to Coiling Dragon Cave?" a voice asked as someone suddenly approached him.
Yi Tianyun looked up. The man who approached was a Cultivator at the ninth level of the Core Formation Stage, likely in his late twenties. While not stunningly handsome, he had a certain charm and a very approachable air. He walked over with a wide, friendly smile.
Several other Cultivators were with him. The one with the highest cultivation was a handsome man at the second level of the Spirit Pill Stage. He stood off to the side, radiating an air of aloof pride. When he saw his companion trying to recruit someone, a flicker of annoyance crossed his face.
A female Cultivator stood close beside the handsome man, clearly deferring to him as the leader. She couldn’t even be bothered to spare Yi Tianyun a single glance.
"You’re all heading to Coiling Dragon Cave?" Yi Tianyun asked.
"That’s right! Coiling Dragon Cave is the hottest spot around here. If you manage to find even one piece of a dragon’s skeleton in there, you’ll be rich!" Xu Fei said, rubbing his hands together with a grin.
Yi Tianyun frowned. ’I’d rather not travel with a group. It’s pointless. Moving alone is always faster.’
"Friend, don’t hesitate! I’m very familiar with this area. Other people who try to go on their own might wander into a dangerous spot or just get permanently lost. But if I lead the way, I can get you to Coiling Dragon Cave in just half a day!" Xu Fei rubbed his hands together, finally showing his true intentions. "However... I’ll need one thousand Spirit Stones to guarantee your safe and easy arrival at the cave. What do you say?"
At this, Yi Tianyun couldn’t help but smile. ’After all that talk, he’s just a guide!’
"Alright," Yi Tianyun agreed. "As long as you get me into Coiling Dragon Cave safely, I’ll gladly hand over one thousand Spirit Stones." He didn’t want to waste any more time dawdling on the outskirts; the sooner he got to the cave, the better.
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