Chapter 436: Saintland Trial (2)
Translator: Swammped Editor: Hitesh_
Saintlands weren’t just the Billowing Saint Race’s holy ground, but the holy grounds of the underground world’s entire first layer. Reportedly, it was connected with the second layer saintlands through countless ways. A year ago, Serenity Saint daughter, who was originally supposed to be married off to the holy son of a powerful saint race in the underground world’s second layer, escaped with that youngster from outside from these saintlands, causing a huge loss of face for the Billowing Saint Clan.
Saintlands were dangerous. When the subterraneans entered, nine out of ten died. It was even possible that not one out of hundred could come out alive. What made them puzzled was that when the outsiders entered, they had a much higher chance of survival. There were many such precedents.
The greater the danger, greater the opportunities. Saintlands had been existing since the ancient era, and had many secrets and treasures hidden in it. The Billowing Saint Race organized a group every hundred years to enter the saintlands. But, since the current time was not appropriate, the old man didn’t dare barge in by himself.
“Great Elder, are they inside?”
Goldwind Saint son and the rest two rushed over.
The white-haired old man said expressionlessly, “What’s done is done. We’ll return.” Regardless of how unresigned he felt, this time’s operation ended up as a failure.
“They have some good luck, though I wonder for how long it will keep up. Who knows the next time we enter saintlands, we might see their sculptures.” Goldwind Saint son snorted.
…
Rustle!
Black winds were rummaging in every direction like sickles of a death god, creating whimpering sounds and scraping off mountain peaks.
Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng were greeted by a gale of black winds as soon as they appeared. They subconsciously raised their defense, but were astonished to discover that the Zhen Yuan suppressed in the depths of their Dantian made its way out and formed a protective cover around their bodies.
“Zhen Yuan is not suppressed here!” Resisting the winds with slight difficulty, Murong Qingcheng spoke up.
Ye Chen said, “But, the spirit power is still suppressed. No wonder they didn’t chase.” Since the soul was suppressed, will was naturally affected as well. As for how psyche would be affected, Ye Chen couldn’t tell.
Creak… Creak…
Black winds collided with the protective Zhen Yuan, producing unceasing muffled explosive sounds. As Ye Chen felt a faint dizziness assaulting him, he eventually paid attention to the black winds, After a careful observation, he remarked, “These are Soul Scattering Astral Winds. They are formed when metal and dark Yuan Qi combine together, and they also contain a trace of will within, which allows their might to rival Astral Qi.”
The difference between Astral Winds and Astral Qi was that the former integrated with air, and thus, had many impurities. Thus, it obviously couldn’t compare with Astral Qi, which was made purely of a combination of different Yuan Qi. However, with the amplification of a strange will, the former’s might became comparable to the latter. It was sufficient to threaten ninety percent of Astral Reaching experts.
“I wonder if Yin Demon Ancestor made it or not…” Murong Qingcheng creased her brows.
“He has probably made it! Although, we can’t say for sure.” Ye Chen knew what she was worried about. Since this place didn’t have Zhen Yuan suppression, he would be a true Master Sea of Soul expert. Even after joining hands, they would be crushed by him with one hand. However, they currently had no enmity with him, nor any conflict of interests. Even if they encountered him right now, it wouldn’t matter. As for later, they could worry about that at that time.
…
Yin Demon Ancestor had indeed made it in, but he arrived at a different place compared to Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng. As soon as he appeared, he was greeted by a strange wind that was sparkling with three colors. The wind contained an extraordinary might, about the same as that in a full power blow of an ordinary Sea of Soul realm expert. However, Yin Demon Ancestor relaxed in the next moment. He had finally discovered that he could use Zhen Yuan again. With Zhen Yuan, what did this three-colored wind amount to?
“Green, Yellow, Black… It’s actually the Soul Plucking Astral Winds. No, that’s not right. The strange will inside them is increasing their might to Astral Qi made of three types of Yuan Qi.”
Yin Demon Ancestor was somewhat amazed. Will containing winds? He had never heard such a thing. Was it artificial or natural?
Roaming around the hard, desolate grounds, Yin Demon Ancestor had no fear. As long as he had his Zhen Yuan, he could amplify his battle power by several folds, not to mention using the many life-saving cards he had. The only thing that made his insides hurt was the loss of two upper grade artifacts. It should be known that even at master grade, upper grade artifacts weren’t that easy to obtain. At this moment, he was only left with one upper grade blade.
“Eh?”
Yin Demon Ancestor’s brows shot up. He pulled his body back while swinging his blade at the same time.
Puchi!
It slashed through the skull of the huge centipede that had just made its way out, black juices splattering everywhere.
“Ninth grade ancient demonic beast, Black Mountain Centipede!” Yin Demon Ancestor recognized the demonic beast with but a glance.
‘A centipede dies but never falls down.’ As its head fell down, the lower half continued its way up and swirled around Yin Demon Ancestor.
“Courting death!” Yin Demon Ancestor sneered. After being chased around by the white-robed old man, he had been carrying a belly full of anger. Now, he had found the place to vent it.
With a slash of his blade, dozens of sawtooth blade Qi interweaved, instantly severing apart the centipede with blood and flesh flying everywhere.
…
As Yin Demon Ancestor settled the Black Mountain Centipede, Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng were facing a pincer attack of a pack of ancient era’s seventh grade demonic beasts, Snake Scaled Wolves.
Snake Scaled Wolf was a mutated demonic beast. It had the body of a wolf, but was larger by several folds, with a height of more than two meters. Their bodies had no fur, and instead was covered with glimmering scales. Compared to their huge bodies, the scales were quite small, just about the size of a thumb. Due to this reason, they were quite densely packed, improving the defense substantially, and even rivaling that of some eighth grade demonic beasts.
These scales emitted black light balls every now and then, bombarding Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng.
“Green Lotus Qi Transformation!”
Like a hedgehog, Ye Chen’s body emitted countless strands of sword Qi. After the first round of sword Qi, a large portion of wolves turned into corpses. With Ye Chen’s strength, not to mention a pack of seventh grade demonic beasts, even if he were to encounter a pack of eighth grade demonic beasts, he wouldn’t have much trouble.
Just as the two were about to end the remaining wolves, the wolves, as if sensing something, all frantically escaped towards a certain direction.
Ye Chen didn’t believe they were afraid of him. They had shown no fear even after so many of them had died. Following the gaze of a wolf who had just turned about, Ye Chen peered into the distance.
In the horizon was a layer of black Qi moving towards them at an extremely fast speed. As Ye Chen observed the appearance of the black Qi, it seemed more like a black fog instead of black Qi. This black fog, which was covering whole mountains and hills, seemed like a ghastly fog. One could hear sounds that seemed to be wails of ghosts coming from inside it. Indistinctly, Ye Chen could see faces and bodies, as well as glimpses of some demonic beasts.
Wherever the black fog went, demonic beasts that were deeply concealed were all pulled out. Their bodies rapidly withered and a shadow was pulled out of their bodies, merging with the black mist.
“Devouring Soul!”
Ye Chen’s complexion completely changed, and he took out a flying puppet from his spirit ring. Ye Chen had two flying puppets; one was a leopard and one was a roc. The former required mid-grade spirit stones while the latter required upper grade stones. At this moment, Ye Chen had taken out the roc puppet.
“Hop on!”
Jumping on the puppet’s back, Ye Chen shouted.
Murong Qingcheng jumped on it as well, although looking a bit dazed.
With the impetus from upper grade spirit stones, the roc’s speed was quick as a light beam. In two to three breaths, it had gone over five times the speed of sound; then, from five to seven, and from seven to ten… Throughout the way, electric sparks flew about as they soon left behind all the wolves.
“Is this an upper grade flying puppet?” Murong Qingcheng asked with a sound transmission.
Ye Chen faintly nodded, “Yes. I found it from one of the ruins of the Puppet Sect. Its maximum speed is ten times the speed of sound. It can be compared to ordinary Sea of Soul realm experts, except it consumes upper grade spirit stones.”
The black fog was moving at least seven times faster than sound. The wolves were all overtaken, without any chance of resisting, Their bodies withered and souls were sucked out. It seemed like a scene playing straight out of hell.
After an hour, the two had arrived twenty five thousand li away on the roc, leaving the fog far behind them.
The two landed on the ground, and Ye Chen put the puppet back into his spirit ring.
It was a wilderness with overgrown weeds that stretched as far as the eyes could see. Strangely, there was a stone sculpture in the wilderness at a regular interval. Some of these sculptures were either standing, sitting, lying down, or even half-buried inside the ground. Perhaps it might have been their misconception, but the sculptures seemed to have come alive, and their originally expressionless faces seemed to carry a smirk.
“These seem no different from those in the Stoneman Array.”
Ye Chen recalled that both the array’s sculptures as well as undying altar were sucked inside in their entireties. There was certainly a secret connection between the two.
Kacha!
As they were passing by a half-buried sculpture, the soil beside it suddenly split open with several small cracks.
Murong Qingcheng said cautiously, “There is something inside the sculpture.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the half-buried sculpture suddenly broke out of ground, and a sneer appeared on its stony face. It slightly wriggled its arms before suddenly punching out towards the two.
“Expel Sky!”
Murong Qingcheng faced the incoming attack with her palm, repelling the fist energy several meters away.
Kacha!
Kacha! Kacha!
All of the surrounding sculptures resurrected one by one, their faces carrying a smile that wasn’t cold, but actually a deranged one. If not for the cruelty contained within it, it wouldn’t have seemed like a smile at all. They truly gave a blood-curdling sensation to anybody who saw them.
“Sky Thunder Cut!”
Not daring to be neglectful in the slightest, Ye Chen immediately issued his strongest move. The sword light drizzled like snow, slashing off seven to eight sculptures in straight line. The slashed faces of the sculptures emitted a black smoke, then again recombined with the slashed part, without a hint of any damage taken.
“Undying Body!”
Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng both thought of the undying body at the same time. They had entered the underground body because of the undying body. There was a little to no chance that the secret of the undying body was unrelated to the underground world. However, this sort of an undying body was simply too excessive, enough to make one’s blood go cold. Of course, this was only their guess. Who knew what a true undying body really looked like?
