Chapter 185: The Avengers?
"Let's take one more look, see what's going on!" Wang Xuan, filled with endless curiosity and a touch of reluctance, gazed towards the distant blue lake. Normally, it was a tranquil scene of lotus ponds under the moonlight, serene and ethereal.
However, when his spirit left his body, he saw an endless azure sea shrouded in fog. In the darkness, myriad terrifying eyes covered the entire sea surface, ranging from the size of lanterns to the size of islands, in all shapes and sizes.
With a swift whoosh, Wang Xuan's spirit snapped back to his body, sensing something amiss in his surroundings. He and Old Chen sprinted away frantically, no longer daring to linger. To call this place merely a nest of Chilling Spirits was an understatement; it seemed more like their birthplace, a veritable hell.
"How big must Xu Fu's psychological trauma be by now?" Wang Xuan pondered as they ran.
"Infinite!" Old Chen replied in a low voice.
In the mist-covered azure sea, the golden bamboo boat floated aimlessly. The Ferryman was trembling, his mind far from peace. He had always thought of the Departed Lands as a peaceful haven, akin to a paradise away from the world, living alone in a large house, undisturbed and serene.
Yet, now he realized that outside his house were countless blood-red, monstrous eyes, massive and unblinking, watching him every day. At any moment, these beasts might burst into his abode, tearing him apart, turning his sanctuary into a bloody horror.
With this realization, how could the Ferryman remain calm? He had always been under observation, like a monkey in a cage. His newfound understanding brought with it a chilling revelation. Could all eight Departed Lands be like this? Filled with Chilling Spirits, the other seven locations might harbor similar entities.
Perhaps in the stronger Departed Lands, even more formidable creatures lurked – like the mythical "Departed Beings" spoken of in legends, entities beyond even the Immortals' comprehension.
......
Amid his shock, the Ferryman speculated that the transcendent radiation of the eight Departed Lands and the birth of their secret paths were likely rooted in these incomprehensible creatures. This thought made the very concept of the Departed Lands' transcendent radiation chillingly disturbing.
...
Wang Xuan broke the silence, "Old Chen, why do you think I can see those things when my spirit leaves my body? Have I opened some kind of spiritual third eye?"
"What third eye? It’s like those rare individuals who claim they can see ghosts. You have the Yin-Yang Eye of the spiritual realm," Old Chen asserted confidently.
"You’re just jealous. It’s clearly a spiritual third eye," Wang Xuan corrected. He then sighed, wondering why every secret path they ventured on seemed to reveal terrifying truths towards the end, making it difficult to continue. It was no wonder these paths became less traveled over time. Clearly, the ancients too had discovered these horrors and dared not venture near.
"It’s fine for now," Old Chen reassured him. "According to the Ferryman, Chilling Spirits prey on Earth Immortals and Transcendent experts. Seeing you, they probably think you're just a budding flower. They'll wait for you to ripen into a succulent fruit before they strike. You're far from being an Earth Immortal."
There was no humor in Old Chen's words; upon deeper reflection, this situation was akin to a gruesome horror tale.
Wang Xuan recalled the book Zhong Cheng had given him, containing photographs of Zhong Qing and scriptures left by Chen Tuan. At that time, he had shared it with Old Chen, and both had felt there were eerie tales interwoven in it.
Reflecting on it now, he was struck by the similarity between those stories and their recent experiences.
"Old Chen, do you remember that book? Not the one with the photos, the other scriptures. I recited them to you," Wang Xuan revisited the past.
"Those..." Old Chen pondered deeply. Among Chen Tuan's scriptures, there were miscellaneous chapters describing strange occurrences along the path of cultivation.
There was a tale of a prodigy among cultivators, unparalleled among his peers. His exact realm wasn't specified, but from the descriptions of his supernatural abilities, it was likely that he surpassed even Earth Immortals. He could see creatures invisible to ordinary people.
Once, when his spirit left his body to visit a friend – a trivial task at his level, like traveling from the northern seas to the southern forests in a day – he encountered something horrifying. Upon his nocturnal return, other cultivators heard his spirit scream in the darkness, then saw it gradually disintegrate as if being devoured by invisible monsters.
Soon after, the prodigy awoke, but who or what resided in his body remained a mystery. Not only him, but his wife and even the animals in his household seemed different, as if possessed. Eventually, the prodigy ascended, and bizarrely, his wife and the household animals ascended with him.
"I feel like that prodigy had opened his spiritual third eye..." Wang Xuan speculated doubtfully.
"He was devoured by Chilling Spirits, who then inhabited his body and summoned more of their kind, all ascending together!" Old Chen surmised directly.
Chen Tuan, in his miscellaneous writings, lamented that the prodigy – or rather, the monster – who had ascended by borrowing a body, might bring unforeseen consequences.
"Chilling Spirits prey on those who've opened their Yin-Yang Eyes. Be careful!" Old Chen seriously suspected that the top-tier Chilling Spirits were as powerful as the Immortals.
"Could the power of the Departed Lands originate from those countless Chilling Spirits?" Wang Xuan pondered, suspecting that the truth behind the transcendent radiation might be terrifyingly grim.
The Departed Lands were considered among the earliest of the secret paths, suggesting that the earliest transcendent beings, perhaps even the Immortals, might have originated from the radiation of Chilling Spirits.
Upon hearing Wang Xuan's theory, Old Chen shook his head, "Don't scare yourself. The Departed Lands are just one of the earliest secret paths, not the only one."
At that moment, Wang Xuan and Old Chen officially left the Departed Lands. Looking back at the fog-covered area, they felt a lingering sense of horror.
With a rumble, the fog churned as if expanding, then the whole Departed Lands trembled violently before suddenly contracting. It became unstable, and then, in a shocking moment, the entire Departed Lands vanished, leaving behind nothing but a barren, lifeless land.
The Ferryman had previously mentioned that the Departed Lands were leaving this planet, but they hadn’t expected it to happen so suddenly. Wang Xuan and Old Chen exchanged glances, astounded at the sudden disappearance of the Departed Lands.
Old Chen pragmatically suggested, "Let’s not worry about that now. We live in the mortal world, far from those entities. They are not our concern."
Wang Xuan nodded in agreement, his mind focused on enhancing his strength. His greatest immediate threat might be the red-dressed demoness, and soon, he planned to turn the hunt against her.
The barren, treeless land, now free from the obscuring mists, offered a clear view of the surroundings. Not far away, a golden mastiff, colossal like a small hill, was coldly observing them, flanked by four transcendent beings.
Wang Xuan and Old Chen exchanged glances, deciding to leave the area quickly to avoid alerting the monstrous inhabitants of the eight great transcendent lairs.
"We won’t let them escape!" roared the mastiff. With a single bound, it covered a terrifying distance, its sharp claws ripping through the ground and stirring up gusts of wind and dust.
"Did they enter the Departed Lands?" one of the transcendent beings whispered.
"Do you ever hear of anyone entering the Departed Lands together and both coming out alive?" the mastiff replied coldly. "It’s rare enough for one to survive. I’ve never heard of two doing so."
As they dashed into the forest, the mastiff’s massive body crushed trees in its path, exuding a murderous aura and shredding leaves in the air. It was evidently a powerful being in the latter stages of the Life Soil realm.
Old Chen, who had just entered the Lamp-Lighting realm, naturally fled from their pursuit.
"But what if they did enter the Departed Lands and came out alive..." another voice expressed caution.
"Even if they did and gained a level, they're still not as powerful as me. Plus, my friend, who's at the Herb Gathering stage, will soon arrive. Killing them will be easy," the mastiff said confidently, its voice chilling.
It then sneered, "Besides, do you think our allies in this area are few?" Its roar shattered the nearby trees, sending ripples of transcendent energy.
Soon, howls responded from the eight great transcendent lairs. Various monstrous cries echoed through the mountains, sending shivers down spines as an alliance of monsters mobilized, charging towards them.
The silver bear was the fastest, like a streak of silver lightning, followed by the golden bird soaring on expansive wings, diving down as a beam of light. Behind them were the pangolin, silver porcupine, mountain turtle, and silk serpent, all joining the chase like an avengers' alliance.
"This is my territory. No outsider dares to oppose me here," the mastiff declared ominously, continuing its pursuit.
Wang Xuan felt the situation turning dire. He had thought that stepping into the transcendent realm would allow him to easily defeat external enemies. Yet, faced with an army of monsters, the situation was far from simple.
"That fat bear and the golden bird are too fast. They'll catch us soon. We can't keep running on the ground. There's a cave ahead. Let's escape into it and negate their aerial advantage!" Old Chen directed, recalling the special area he had seen when previously chased by the mastiff.
With no other choice, the duo dived into the underground cavern, provoking the silver bear and the golden bird into a furious rage.
The mastiff sneered, "We'll follow them in. They can't escape. Some of you stay and guard the exit, blocking their only way out."
The silver bear and the golden bird remained outside, vigilantly guarding the entrance.
Within the cavern, Old Chen and Wang Xuan stood at a narrow passage, turning to face the first to pursue them down – the mastiff. Old Chen challenged, "As an enforcer, isn't this going too far? Participating in the hunt yourself, breaking the rules of the secret realm? Since when do referees join the battle?"
"Rules? My word is the rule. I want you dead. What can you do about it?" the mastiff retorted with a cold laugh.
The four transcendent beings from the Yuhua Star, along with the mountain turtle, silk serpent, silver porcupine, and pangolin, also arrived at the scene. However, the passage was relatively narrow, and the mastiff’s huge body almost completely blocked the way.
The mastiff declared coldly, "You two violated the rules. Reaching the transcendent level, you came from the depths of the secret realm to the outer area, maliciously attacking the young cultivators of the Yuhua Star. As the enforcer, it's my duty to eliminate you!"
Wang Xuan and Old Chen were taken aback, infuriated by the false accusations. Even a dog knew how to twist the truth and blame others, they thought.
The mastiff continued sternly, "According to our ancestral teachings, we allow humans from the three transcendent planets to compete here for opportunities left by the Immortals. But those who break the rules will face our punishment! I, as the enforcer, declare that these two have repeatedly broken the constraints of the secret realm and offended you all. Please assist me in killing them!"
Its words had a provocative effect, striking a chord with the avengers' alliance. Filled with animosity, they were united in their hostility.
"Kill!" the mastiff bellowed, leading the charge.
Relying on its higher realm, the mastiff unleashed its spiritual energy. A golden mini-sun materialized in front of its forehead, sending ripples in all directions, shattering the cave walls and widening the path. These golden ripples of spiritual energy surged towards Old Chen and Wang Xuan.
Old Chen felt indignant. Was he really going to be hunted down and killed by a dog leading a pack of monsters? The thought was unbearably frustrating.
With a roar, a bright light emanated from his forehead, unleashing the spiritual secret forces of the Lamp-Lighting stage, contending against the formidable spiritual energy of the mastiff in the latter stages of the Life Soil realm.
His spiritual cultivation was exceptionally high, managing to block the golden ripples. But behind the mastiff, a horde of monsters loomed, and if they all released their spiritual energy, his defenses would inevitably crumble.
The mastiff was shocked. The middle-aged man it had once pursued had such formidable spiritual power?
"I'll join in!" Wang Xuan immediately activated his spiritual secret forces, eager to test his strength after advancing to the transcendent realm.
His spiritual force, accompanied by the mystical scenery of immortal mountains, collided with the mastiff's energy, forcefully breaching the golden ripples and approaching the golden sun in front of the mastiff's forehead.
Wang Xuan grimaced, feeling the overwhelming spiritual presence of his opponent, which caused him considerable discomfort. Yet, the fusion of his spiritual force with the scenery of immortal mountains, like a sharp knife, managed to break through, nearing the golden sun.
"Impossible!" The mastiff was astounded. Had this transcendent being connected to a corner of the first layer of the spiritual world, drawing upon its power? Legend had it that only a few select individuals could achieve this feat. Even the great founders of ancient times, in their early transcendent years, didn’t possess such capabilities.
Those capable of such feats were individuals who had left indelible marks in the annals of cultivation history.
Wang Xuan's spiritual force, carrying the imagery of an immortal mountain, neared the mastiff's golden sun, causing it to tremble. The mastiff's massive spiritual energy orb was formidable, yet it sustained damage, fragments chipped away by the impact of the mountain.
At that moment, Old Chen struck fiercely, following close behind the celestial mountain. His vast spiritual energy thundered and collided with the golden sun.
The mastiff howled in agony as its golden spiritual energy sphere shattered. It writhed in pain, its consciousness blurring.
With no hesitation, Wang Xuan hurled his spear, alloyed with solar gold, at the mastiff. The spear, incredibly sharp, pierced through the mastiff's flesh and embedded into its forehead despite its instinctive attempt to block with its massive paw, blood splattering everywhere.
"Kill them, don't let anyone from the Yuhua Star escape! They have jade tokens on them. Collect them, and we can gain the fortunes left by the Immortals!" Old Chen shouted, rushing forward. He kicked the protruding end of the spear, driving it deeper into the mastiff's skull.
With a final roar, the golden beast fell silent, swiftly and brutally slain by the duo.
The other monsters and beings, initially eager to gauge the true strength of Wang Xuan and Old Chen through the mastiff's assessment, were stunned by the abrupt end of the battle.
The mountain turtle was the first to flee, swiftly followed by the silk serpent and then the pangolin. None of them were as formidable as the mastiff, and sensing the danger, they decisively withdrew from the alliance, overtaken by fear. Morale was important. Their low morale saw the beings, who were initially eager to take their lives, flee for their lives.
“After them! Get their jade tokens!” shouted Old Chen.
Wait, did we take out a powerful monster of the Life-Soil realm just like that? Wang Xuan pulled out his spear and continued the pursuit.
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