Deadly Land

The night stretched on. A bright moon shone over the forest, the evening breeze brushed the young willows, insects chirped in waves, and the stream babbled softly—a truly idyllic scene.

Having decided to set out, Li Jiusheng no longer hesitated. He took Little Fox and traveled through the night toward the South Ridge Mountain Range.

This was his first time leaving the mountain in nearly a hundred years, and it felt somewhat novel.

It was also Little Fox's first time leaving the place she knew since birth, and she was filled with curiosity as well.

One man and one fox traveled through the night, riding the wind.

"The last time I left the mountain gate, I was hurrying down mountain roads to buy daily necessities in a distant city. That was seventy or eighty years ago," Li Jiusheng said wistfully.

"Are you that old?" Little Fox asked innocently.

"In the eyes of mortals, I am already decrepit with age. But on the path of cultivation, I am merely an ascetic silently climbing onward," Li Jiusheng answered. With two rebirths, the course of his life had changed completely, and he no longer worried about his lifespan.

Under the moonlight, Li Jiusheng rode the wind. He spread out his domain around himself, breaking free of the earth's restraints and allowing himself to fly upon the wind at tremendous speed.

Little Fox stood on Li Jiusheng's shoulder, her nine tails entwined like a snow-white scarf around his neck.

Having just left the mountain gate, everything was new to her, even flying.

Although Li Jiusheng possessed late-stage Great Grandmaster strength within Shangqing Palace, he had never flown at full speed on the wind.

Now, he was like an immortal from legend, streaking through the sky like an arrowed sword and racing toward the distance. Violent winds roared past his ears, but they could not affect him in the slightest. As they drew near, Li Jiusheng's domain automatically parted them.

Since ancient times, the greatest distinction between accomplished cultivators and ordinary people had been the ability to fly.

Cultivators' obsession with flight was carved into their bones.

Li Jiusheng was no exception.

He was greatly excited. Pushing the energy within him to its limit, he increased his speed to the utmost and headed straight for the South Ridge Mountain Range, thirty thousand li away.

Only after flying for half the night did his excitement slowly fade. Li Jiusheng maintained his speed and restrained his aura to avoid drawing anyone's attention.

He flew the entire night to cover those thirty thousand li.

The next morning, Li Jiusheng arrived at the South Ridge Mountain Range.

Li Qingshan had been right. The South Ridge Mountain Range was exceptionally lively now. People from all major factions had gathered here, turning what had once been a quiet mountain range into a bustling metropolis.

Li Jiusheng landed far away and walked upon the ground. Along the way, he saw people from all the major factions heading deeper into the South Ridge Mountain Range.

Li Jiusheng concealed his aura and appeared to be an unremarkable old man. With a snow-white fox in tow, he followed the crowd onward.

Along the way, he heard many discussions.

Someone said, "I never expected the Heavenly Emperor City Ruins to appear in the South Ridge Mountain Range. This place used to be nothing more than a gathering ground for demons and devils, desolate and uninhabited, yet now it is so lively. The ways of the world are truly unpredictable."

Another person said, "Exactly. I heard that with the Heavenly Emperor City Ruins emerging this time, the Founding Grandmasters of every sect wanted a share of the spoils. Unfortunately for them, restrictions are in place, so only we are allowed inside to explore. This is our opportunity."

Everyone nodded, their faces full of anticipation. Though they would still have to compete with some Venerables, that was far better than fighting Ancestors.

Among the crowd were several independent cultivators with formidable Auras. One of them said, "The Heavenly Emperor City Ruins appeared within a Deadly Land, making it even more dangerous. The Ancestors of the major factions cannot participate this time, which is absolutely beneficial for independent cultivators like us. If we seize an opportunity, we might even break through to the Ancestor Realm."

"I heard the Heavenly Emperor City Ruins have not been opened yet, and only one person is inside?" someone asked.

Li Jiusheng raised an eyebrow and listened quietly.

"That's right. At present, there is only one person inside that Deadly Land. He came from the Outer Domain and carried a treasure once used by the Heavenly Emperor. He awakened the Heavenly Emperor City Ruins, causing such a huge commotion that the Ancestors of all the major factions descended here and sealed every exit of the Deadly Land, intending to capture him for questioning. But that man accidentally activated the Deadly Land's defenses, making it impossible to enter for the time being. Still, the Ancestors are already investigating. They should be able to enter soon," explained a richly dressed disciple from a prestigious sect.

"What is the situation in that Deadly Land?" someone asked in surprise.

Li Jiusheng wanted to know as well, so he continued listening silently among the crowd.

"No one knows when this Deadly Land came into being. It has its own Operating Rules, completely different from the outside world. In the past, although the Deadly Land was dangerous, one could enter if one was careful. But this time, it was accidentally revived. Combined with the appearance of the Heavenly Emperor City Ruins, the two factors together have made it impossible for anyone to enter," the disciple from the righteous sect explained.

"But rest assured, everyone. Our sect's Ancestor is doing everything possible to repair the Deadly Land. It should be accessible within the next day or two. When that time comes, whether disciples of major sects or independent experts, all will be able to enter and seek their own opportunities." The disciple from the prestigious sect announced loudly, his face full of pride and his words impassioned. Cultivators around him applauded one after another.

"As expected of a great Daoist sect. Their vision is truly broad. It should be fair competition."

"Exactly. Only fair competition allows a hundred flowers to bloom. The Heavenly Dao Sect's Ancestor has worked hard."

Behind the crowd, Li Jiusheng glanced at the disciple speaking. He had not expected him to be from the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Before he could think further, a mocking voice came from behind him. "How shameless. The Ancestors of all the major factions are clearly working together to repair the Deadly Land, yet from his mouth, it becomes the Heavenly Dao Sect's Ancestor working tirelessly alone. He does not mention any of the other Ancestors who contributed, claiming all the credit for himself. He became a whore and still wanted a chastity arch."

Li Jiusheng glanced sideways and saw a sturdy youth dressed in martial attire. He held a long sword across his chest and frowned at the Heavenly Dao Sect disciple's boasting.

He had been the one speaking just now.

When the sturdy youth noticed Li Jiusheng looking at him, he merely shrugged without saying anything. He passed through the crowd and strode away.

Li Jiusheng watched the Heavenly Dao Sect disciple continue boasting about how diligently his own Ancestor was working. He too passed through the crowd and headed deeper into the South Ridge Mountain Range.

The South Ridge Mountain Range was a massive range that stretched from north to south. Its verdant peaks rose high, mountains overlapped one another, clouds and mist coiled through the valleys, and its scenery changed in countless ways. Its spiritual energy was even more abundant.

If not for the Deadly Land within the South Ridge Mountain Range, which made the place extraordinarily dangerous, some faction would surely have established a sect here instead of leaving it as an ignored wasteland.

Li Jiusheng had read about the terror of Deadly Lands in some Daoist books. Once, a peerless expert had built his sect atop a Deadly Land, believing he could suppress it. Yet one day, the Deadly Land erupted. Inconceivable power surged from within and swallowed the entire faction in an instant, reducing it to scorched earth. Not a single person escaped.

What was a Deadly Land?

It was a place where no one knew why that land had appeared, how much energy it contained, or whether it could be controlled. Once it erupted, it brought utter catastrophe.

The Deadly Land in the South Ridge Mountain Range was the same.

Rumor had it that, long ago, there had been no Deadly Land in the South Ridge Mountain Range. This had once been the dwelling place of demons and devils. Later, this Deadly Land fell from the sky into the depths of the South Ridge Mountain Range, wiping out the demons and devils in one stroke and shocking the cultivation world of the Central Land at the time.

Experts from every direction had come to investigate, but they found nothing. Several Ancestors entered the Deadly Land to explore and never returned, frightening the other factions away. From then on, there were no more members of the Demon Race in the Central Land, and the South Ridge Mountain Range fell completely into desolation and silence.

Only today, with the appearance of the Heavenly Emperor City Ruins, had the South Ridge Mountain Range returned to public attention.

When Li Jiusheng reached the depths of the South Ridge Mountain Range and stood atop a high peak, he looked into the distance and saw the Deadly Land.

Red earth stretched as far as the eye could see. It resembled a volcanic eruption within, the temperature incredibly high. Fragments of soil and stone littered the ground, and mountains rose here and there. Looking into the distance, he could vaguely make out broken walls and ruined structures in the depths, as though it were a vast wasteland.

"So this is a Deadly Land?" Li Jiusheng exclaimed. It was his first time seeing one. He had only read about them in books before, and words could not give him a true image; he could only imagine it himself. Yet his experience had been too limited to imagine anything like this. Seeing it with his own eyes now left him deeply shaken.

Between heaven and earth lay this Deadly Land.

Within the Deadly Land seemed to be an isolated small world, one whose rules of operation were entirely different from those outside.

Li Jiusheng saw energy fluctuating above the Deadly Land and traces of a formation barring others from entering. Yet the formation flickered in and out of sight. Looking in every direction, he keenly caught the energy fluctuations and realized that the Ancestors of the major factions were breaking apart the Deadly Land's formation.

"It seems it really will be soon. One, two, three, four, five... There are nine Ancestors breaking this Deadly Land's formation in total." Li Jiusheng carefully counted the energy fluctuations. The nine Ancestors stood in different positions, working together to break the formation.

"Uh, they actually built a small town in front of the Deadly Land." Li Jiusheng looked to the other side and discovered that the depths of the South Ridge Mountain Range, once nearly devoid of people, had been flattened. Forests had been cleared, and a town had been built from ancient timber. Thousands of cultivators moved through its streets, and more newcomers arrived without end.

"These are all people waiting to enter the Deadly Land. They come from every sect and faction, so they must know plenty of information." Li Jiusheng descended from the mountaintop, intending to enter the town and gather some news.

It was called a small town, but it actually covered a vast area. Every major faction was flattening the mountain terrain and constructing its own camp.

As Li Jiusheng approached, he saw a bustling scene. The Heavenly Dao Sect disciple who had been loudly boasting on the road had also arrived and was still extolling the great achievements of the Heavenly Dao Sect's Ancestor.

The sturdy youth in martial attire had also come to the town. Li Jiusheng watched him enter a camp, before which hung a plaque bearing four large characters.

Sword Forging Manor!

"The master of Sword Forging Manor rose to prominence in the same era as my sect's Ancestor. He followed the path of sword cultivation, and after entering the Ancestor Realm, his combat strength became exceptional. He achieved brilliant results in battles against the Outer Domain. After the war settled, he founded Sword Forging Manor. The swords forged by his hand possess extraordinary spirituality. When they clash with ordinary magical artifacts, they can easily slice them apart." Information about Sword Forging Manor surfaced in Li Jiusheng's mind.

Sword Forging Manor was deeply favored by sword immortals throughout the Old Land. They possessed a unique method of sword forging, and every sword immortal wished to visit Sword Forging Manor to obtain a sword suited to their heart.

Thus, Sword Forging Manor had not declined like Shangqing Palace. It had always retained the bearing of a major sect.

"Still, it seems the people of Sword Forging Manor do not get along with the Heavenly Dao Sect disciples." Li Jiusheng muttered. On further thought, it was only natural. Everyone at Sword Forging Manor practiced the sword, and sword cultivators valued clear sword hearts and pressing forward without hesitation. They had no patience for so many twists and turns. Right was right and wrong was wrong, so naturally they disliked the Heavenly Dao Sect's hypocritical conduct.

With that thought in mind, Li Jiusheng wandered around the town.

Along the way, he found many factions established here.

Hunyuan Dao was among them.

Li Jiusheng paused before Hunyuan Dao's camp and examined it carefully.

"The Founding Grandmaster of Hunyuan Dao is Huntian Old Ancestor. Back then, he and my sect's Ancestor were comrades-in-arms with a deep friendship. Though the two sects did not interact much afterward, considering what that brat Yu Chaoyang did, the fact that Hundun Dao neither killed him nor allowed its elders to use their status to pressure others already shows great restraint," Li Jiusheng muttered inwardly.

"If Yu Chaoyang had any ambition and managed to win over the current Saintess of Hundun Dao, Shangqing Palace and Hunyuan Dao might yet become in-laws and renew our old bond." Thinking of this, Li Jiusheng could not help looking around, hoping to find that brat Yu Chaoyang.

But unfortunately, Yu Chaoyang was nowhere to be seen.

Nor was Hundun Dao's Saintess.

There were only ordinary disciples in the camp, building houses. Li Jiusheng lost interest after two glances and turned to leave.

Little Fox had been very well-behaved. She sat quietly on his shoulder, observing her surroundings and finding everything fascinating.

Along the way, he tried to gather information, but everything he heard was merely superficial and no different from what Li Qingshan had told him. Li Jiusheng no longer wished to inquire further.

"Everything must wait until the Deadly Land opens. Only by entering it can I explore and learn more. Anything said now is baseless speculation." Li Jiusheng left the town and found a quiet place in the nearby forest. He sat cross-legged and cultivated in silence.

There was still a day or two before the Deadly Land opened, and he did not intend to waste that time.

Soon, daylight passed and night descended.

Under the dark night in the South Ridge Mountain Range, mist drifted through the mountains. The hills were lush and green, insect cries rose faintly, and the place became more desolate and secluded.

A clear moon hung high in the sky, scattering brilliant moonlight over the South Ridge Mountain Range. Its ravines and gullies were filled with light, and as far as the eye could see, the entire mountain range had been dyed silver-white.

By the latter half of the night, the dew had grown heavy. Moonlight poured down as spiritual energy rose from the mountain wilderness, billowing like a thin veil of smoke. Distant mountains became hazy, like a painting.

Li Jiusheng cultivated amid this picturesque scenery. All kinds of energy intertwined within him, and various cultivation methods evolved. Light shone from between his brows as his Primordial spirit entered dreams, experiencing different lives and tempering the power of his Primordial spirit.

"After breaking through to the late stage of Great Grandmaster, my accumulation has deepened once more. My third rebirth is not far away." Li Jiusheng observed the inside of his body. He understood his accumulated foundation perfectly and knew exactly how far he had progressed.

The day he broke through to Venerable would be the day of his third rebirth.

"I wonder whether this Deadly Land and the Heavenly Emperor City Ruins can help me break through to Venerable and complete my third rebirth?" Li Jiusheng gazed at the bleak Deadly Land in the distance, a trace of anticipation rising in his heart.